Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except Nan. She's all mine. And anything else you don't recognize from the books, movies, or TV shows. Otherwise, this story is purely for entertainment purposes only. I do not get anything out of it other than the wonderful reviews I receive from my readers.

AN: Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone is having a wonderful day!

Timeline wise, this story begins 15 days after Edward and Bella's breakup in New Moon. And season 1 of TVD, just after Elena discovers Stefan is a vampire and breaks up with him. It should be pretty clear as we go through the story. If you have questions, let me know! Enjoy xoxo

– Sunday 27 September 2009 –

– Forks, Washington –

When Bella Swan thought about her future, she didn't immediately jump to fantasies of marriage, settling down, starting a family, or becoming a mother.

So many of the girls her age dreamed of the perfect life after high school, and it almost always included a wonderful husband, 2.5 kids, a golden retriever, and a white picket fence. They had their dream weddings planned down to the last detail. They knew who their perfect husbands would be, what he'd look like, and the great job he'd have. They knew where they'd live and what their houses would look like. Some of the girls she knew had already picked out the names of their perfect children. It was all very . . . perfect.

But, Bella?

She hadn't given it even a moment of thought.

Bella's life was messy.

It was full of chaos and imperfections.

She spent her childhood and most of her adolescence in the parental role. There was nothing wrong with her mother. Renee wasn't sick, dying, or incapable. She just wasn't equipped to be a mother. If Bella hadn't grown up and taken on the role of caregiver, she never would've survived. She cooked. She cleaned the house. She did the grocery shopping. She balanced the checkbook. She paid the bills. She worked. She always made sure Renee had clean laundry, gas in her car, and money in her wallet.

She spent her life looking after and raising her mother.

When Bella was fifteen, Renee met Phil Dwyer. A minor league baseball player. He was younger than Renee but stable. Or, at least that's what Bella thought the first time she met him. For one fleeting moment, she believed he was the answer to her prayers. Finally, Renee found a good man. But, as it turns out, Phil was just as hopeless at being an adult as Renee. The first time he asked Bella how to change a lightbulb, she knew any hope she'd had of taking a step back and being a teen instead of the adult was squashed.

What kind of grown man doesn't know how to change a lightbulb?

After the wedding, Bella saw how miserable Renee was when Phil traveled. She wanted to go with him but felt obligated to stay with her seventeen-year-old daughter.

So, Bella came up with a plan. She told her mom she wanted to spend some time with her father in Forks, Washington. At first, Renee was hesitant. But Bella told her it would mean she and Phil would get to travel together and enjoy their lives as newlyweds. It didn't take much convincing after that. It was obvious to Bella what Renee wanted and it wasn't to be a mother to her daughter.

Even though the truth sometimes stung, Bella wasn't all that bothered by it. She'd never had a mother. Not a real one. Instead, she had Renee. A woman who was far too interested in her own life than the child she'd given birth to. And, Bella supposed, she was used to it by now.

But Bella needed a break. She was tired of being the responsible one all the time. She'd hoped that being somewhere else, without her mother, she might get to do the things normal girls her age do. Whatever that was.

Apparently, being a normal kid wasn't in the cards for Bella.

Charlie—her father—had a far more stable life. He'd been taking care of himself for years and didn't expect Bella to take on the roles she had with her mother. He cleaned. Did his laundry. Took care of the bills and the house. He even took care of her and that was a whole new experience, one she wasn't used to!

The only thing Charlie couldn't do was cook. Bella found that out the day she moved in with him and he attempted to make Spaghetti Bolognese. It was a disaster from the start and she declared—if she wanted to eat more than pizza every night—she'd be the one to do the cooking. She didn't mind taking up the responsibility in the kitchen. She loved to cook and bake. She even enjoyed grocery shopping. Charlie was always so grateful and positive about her cooking; it was nice to cook for someone who genuinely enjoyed what she made.

So, you see, Bella didn't think about marriage or children like the other girls her age. For most of her life, she'd been locked into the role of caregiver. She raised her child. Looked after her. Cared for her. Cheered her on. Took care of their home. She gave her blessing when Phil asked for Renee's hand in marriage. She planned her child's wedding. Watched as she walked down the aisle with tears in her eyes. And then set her child free and let her go off with her new husband.

Now, Bella was done.

She had no desire to do it all over again.

Not yet, anyway.

Not for a long, long time.

Maybe not ever.

At least, that's what she wanted. It would seem, that the universe had other ideas.

How was this happening?

How was it possible?

She'd just turned eighteen. And until recently, she'd been dating a boy—well, okay, a vampire—who she'd been told couldn't reproduce.

And, oh yeah, she was still a virgin!

As far as she was aware, anyway.

It couldn't have been anyone else.

It must've been him.

She hadn't left the house since . . .

And she hadn't seen anyone besides Charlie . . .

So, that left only one person . . .

But . . . she couldn't remember . . .

She couldn't remember ever having sex with Edward Cullen.

But, if not him, then who? And when? And where?

She shook her head, trying to clear the fog from her racing mind. Taking a deep breath, she tried to recall the moment her memories had gone blank.

It wasn't easy.

There were black spots all over her memory. She'd been losing time for weeks. But . . . why hadn't she questioned that?

She could clearly remember her birthday party.

She hadn't wanted to make a fuss. She'd told Alice and Edward at least a dozen times she didn't want a party. But as usual, neither of them listened. The Cullens hadn't celebrated a birthday since Emmett became a vampire and they were using her eighteenth as the perfect opportunity to go all out. It didn't matter what she said or how she felt. It was obvious this was more about them than what she wanted for her birthday.

Their house had been decorated for the occasion. There was a table full of presents. A huge, three-tier cake, covered in fondant icing and flowers. Bella didn't see the point in such a massive cake when she was the only one eating. She'd asked if she could invite her human friends, but Edward and Alice were quick to deny her only request. Classical music played in the background and sparkly fairy lights lit the living room.

All the Cullens were dressed in semi-formal attire. Alice had dressed Bella in an ugly green dress embroidered with black flowers. She'd tried to protest, insisting the dress really wasn't her, but—as usual—Alice insisted. It would make Edward happy, she said. Edward loved the dress when he saw it, she said. Edward wanted Bella to wear it, she said. And, as usual, she'd given in.

She couldn't remember why she'd given in so easily. But it seemed all she did lately was roll over and allow Edward and Alice to do whatever they wanted.

The evening hadn't been terrible. It was wonderful to see Esme. And Bella loved being surrounded by her second family. She didn't enjoy being the center of attention—preferring something quiet and intimate to the party Alice had planned—but she powered through. Now, had it been a massive party with all her human friends, loud music, dancing, and fun, she would have been happy with that. Alice's party was . . . painful. All eyes were on her the whole night, watching her every move, and fussing over her.

Some people would enjoy that, but not Bella.

As usual, the family went all out with gifts, spending far too much money on her than she was comfortable with. But she was grateful and touched by their kind gestures.

She found it odd that the only three who seemed to really know her and her tastes were the three members of the family she'd spent the least amount of time with.

Emmett bought her a new radio for her truck and installed it before she could refuse such an expensive gift.

Rosalie offered her services to restore Bella's old truck to its former glory. She'd already looked under the hood and knew she could do it at minimal cost. To Bella's complete and utter surprise, Rosalie even offered to teach her how to take care of the truck if anything should happen. Bella jumped at the opportunity.

But the gift she loved most came from Jasper. And it was totally unexpected. A first edition, autographed copy of Wuthering Heights by Ellis Bell, Emily Bronte's pen name. The book was old, with yellowed pages, but the most perfect gift she'd ever received.

"My brother recently sent it to me. His sire met Emily Bronte in early 1848 when the book was published. I thought, perhaps, you would like it, Bella."

"Oh Jasper, I . . . I couldn't . . ." She looked down at the old book. Considering its age, it was in pristine condition. The pages were yellowed but the words were still legible. Even the inscription inside the book . . . my dearest Niklaus . . . "Niklaus is your brother's sire?"

Jasper nodded. "He is."

"Wouldn't he want such a precious . . ."

Jasper placed a soft hand on hers. "Trust me, Bella. My brother would not have sent this to me if he thought it would be missed. His sire is very old. He won't miss one book. And I want you to have it."

As she thought back on that night, Bella realized she'd missed something. She thought it was insignificant at the time but now . . . now, she wasn't so sure. Neither Alice nor Edward was happy with their sibling's choice of gifts. Edward was glaring at Rosalie and Alice shoved Jasper out of the way and thrust another gift into Bella's hands.

It was this gift—Alice's gift—that changed the direction of the evening.

As soon as Bella slipped her finger into the wrapping paper everything changed.

All it took was one drop of blood.

At first, Bella wasn't concerned. The family had been around blood plenty of times. They could handle themselves. It was just one drop, after all. Surly there was more risk of them slipping in a high school full of students.

What she hadn't anticipated was Edward's overreaction.

One minute, she was standing beside him, staring down at the drop of blood, and then she was flying across the room.

It all happened so fast.

Why he'd tossed her into the glass table, topped with crystal glasses and plates, she'll never understand. Then again, he probably wasn't thinking straight. Either he wanted her away from him—because he couldn't handle the smell of her blood—or he was attempting to protect her from the others. Mainly Jasper, who was the obvious threat at the time.

No.

That wasn't right, either.

Jasper had been fine when she cut her finger open.

She clearly remembered looking up at him. Her eyes met his as he took a step back and, from what she could tell, it looked like he'd stopped breathing. His black eyes were on her bleeding finger, but he was in control. Even Emmett shifted slightly, reading himself in case Jasper reacted.

But he didn't.

Not until Edward threw her across the room. When she landed on the glass table, her arm was sliced open. She was gushing blood all over their pristine white carpet.

That was when Jasper reacted.

When she looked back at him, something in him shifted . . . and as it did, like an old television flickering, Bella saw a glimpse of something. She wasn't sure what. One moment Jasper looked like Jasper and the next he was . . . different. His skin was warmer, with a flush to his cheeks. His eyes were the most wonderful candy apple green eyes. Bright and vivid. He looked taller instead of hunched in on himself. And those lips. Damn, they were luscious. Light pink. Kissable.

It was just a flash.

One minute Jasper looked almost human and then the vision was gone and he looked like a regular vampire again. All pale, chalky skin and black eyes.

What was that?

Maybe it was just a hallucination . . .

She put the thought to the back of her mind. It didn't matter now.

She wasn't sure what would've happened had Edward not overreacted. Maybe she would've been fine. Maybe she wouldn't. The fact is, it happened. The damage was done.

Jasper was dragged out of the house by Emmett and Rosalie. None of the others could stay in the room where she was bleeding, except Carlisle.

She remembered wondering why they'd all been fine in the ballet studio—where there'd been more blood—but they couldn't handle it now. Perhaps it was just the situation. They weren't expecting it. Or they weren't as well fed. Either way, as she watched her second family flee from her presence, she knew things were going to change. She just had no idea how much they were going to change.

Edward drove her home once she was stitched up. Charlie wasn't there. He'd been called into work on an emergency. She could remember her arm hurting so Edward brought her pills and a bottle of water. He was tense and upset. He'd been quiet on the ride home and she wasn't sure what to do or say to make it better.

She recalled asking him to kiss her. It was her birthday after all, and she wanted a kiss from her boyfriend. He didn't though, instead, he kissed her cheek.

After that . . .

She frowned.

She remembered watching him leave her house, climb back into his car, and . . .

She felt lightheaded as she went back to her bedroom to get into her pajamas. The room was spinning . . . and then . . . Then she woke up the next morning, alone in her bed.

Edward had left.

She couldn't remember him returning.

And she definitely didn't remember having sex with him.

Sex was something they'd discussed. It was a point of contention between them.

Bella wanted to have sex with her boyfriend. Her soulmate.

Edward refused to touch her because—as he claimed—she was fragile and breakable.

Her counter-argument had been to turn her. She wanted it. She was willing. If they were truly mated—as he claimed they were—what was the point in waiting until she was another year, or another two years older than him?

She wanted to spend her life—her immortal life—with her soulmate. That's what they were, right? That's what Edward and Alice had told her. So, it must've been true.

But Edward refused.

He wouldn't damn her soul to his life.

He wanted her to remain human.

She wasn't sure what he was thinking, to be honest. How could they have a relationship—a real relationship, a relationship of equals—when she's human and he's a vampire?

Was that what he thought she deserved? A future with a vampire who refused to touch her? Who refused to commit to an eternity with her? A future where any physical contact was strictly forbidden?

Or was he planning to leave right from the start?

Yes, she supposed, that must've been it. He hadn't planned to stay with her for eternity so he never had to worry about turning her or having sex with her.

And yet, somehow, she was pregnant . . .

Had Edward changed his mind?

Did he come back after their goodnight kiss?

And if he had, why wouldn't she remember it?

But then, there's also that little fact that he's a vampire!

Either, he lied to her, or Edward Cullen had no idea his little swimmers could still swim.

Then again, he's been a virgin for the last century and claims he's never, in all that time, masturbated. The virgin part Bella bought—hook, line, and sinker, or she thought, in this case, swimmer. But to never have masturbated . . . now, that she couldn't believe! What kind of person doesn't masturbate?

Okay. Okay. Maybe there are people in the world who don't masturbate. To each their own. But to insist that you've never felt an attraction to anyone or arousal . . . that's some serious dedication! Maybe he would've been better off joining the clergy rather than high school.

She shook those thoughts away. Edward's bedroom habits didn't really matter. The fact was, she was staring down at a positive pregnancy test wondering how the hell her ex-vampire-boyfriend knocked her up!

And why the hell can't I remember it!?

She considered that, maybe, it was a false positive. Those happen, don't they? She wasn't sure, so to be certain she was pregnant, she did the test again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

Seven tests later, she couldn't pee anymore, she felt bloated from all the water she drank, and she was definitely, without a doubt, pregnant.

With a vampire's child.

It might have been fine if the former love of her life hadn't recently torn her heart out of her chest, ripped it to shreds, jumped up and down on it, tossed it into a volcano, and then mailed the ashes back to her!

.

..

…

….

Okay.

That was dramatic.

.

..

…

….

Bella took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

This wasn't what she wanted. It certainly wasn't what she expected or had planned for her life. But then . . . what had she planned? It was hard to remember anything before Edward came into her life. After she met him and his family, they'd taken up all her time and energy. Edward had made all her decisions, and if he wasn't making them, his psychotic—sorry, sorry—psychic sister was telling her what to do, how to dress, and how to please Edward.

If she wanted to please Edward so desperately, why didn't she have sex with him?

"Oh, God. I had sex with a vampire and now I'm pregnant! And I can't even remember losing my virginity!"

That was the part that got to her.

How could she not remember?

Had someone taken advantage of her?

Was she raped?

She didn't feel like anything bad had happened. Wouldn't there be some sign? She'd seen plenty of episodes of Law and Order to know there should be some physical evidence of rape. There might even be morephysical trauma from a vampire. At the very least, a bruise or two! But there was nothing. No bruises. No broken bones. No aches. No pains. No blood. Nothing but seven positive pregnancy tests.

With a sigh, Bella grabbed the pregnancy tests and headed back into her bedroom.

Thankfully, Charlie was out fishing. He didn't want to go and leave her alone, but she insisted. He hadn't been since before her birthday and she needed a little time without his constant hovering. He promised he wouldn't be gone long and if she needed him all she had to do was call.

The clock on her bedside table told her it was 2:48 PM. He usually isn't back until after six but she had a feeling he'd be earlier today. Still, it gave her a little time to figure out what to tell him.

Due to recent events, Charlie's been unwilling to leave Bella on her own for very long. He seemed to be under the impression she might be suicidal.

Though the thought had never occurred to her, she could understand his worry.

The truth is, she hadn't handled the breakup well.

Okay. That was an understatement of epic proportions.

She hadn't handled the breakup at all. She'd been too numb and broken to do anything but stare out the window feeling the hole in her heart growing bigger and bigger with every breath she took. Even now, it was taking far more effort to think around the pain than was normal.

Is this what every heartbreak feels like? If so, this is not something Bella ever wants to experience again.

The pain was one thing, but the fog in her mind left her feeling disorientated and trapped.

Why couldn't she think clearly?

Why did it feel like her mind was trapped in an endless loop of pain, despair, and wanting Edward to return to her?

Was that what she really wanted?

Did she want him back?

After the way he treated her . . .

The words he callously sneered at her in the forest still echoed in her mind.

"My world is not for you."

"You're not good for me, Bella."

"I'm tired of pretending to be something I'm not."

"I've let this go on much too long."

"You're not good enough for me."

"I don't want you."

"My kind is very easily distracted."

"You were nothing more than a toy. A plaything."

"Your silent mind and the scent of your blood drew me in but I see now there is nothing more to you than a simple, pathetic human."

"They're all gone. I convinced them that a clean break would be better for you."

She shook her head.

He'd made it clear she was nothing more than a distraction to him—a toy for him to play with.

She'd been so stupid to think someone as utterly flawless and perfect could ever want a plain, ordinary girl like her.

On the other hand, she supposed, if this is how he treated the people in his life, was he as perfect as she thought? Good people, kind people—even if they're vampires—don't maliciously destroy a young girl's soul and crush her heart out of boredom. Do they?

Itching her wrist, she shook her head.

Edward wouldn't do that. The things he said must have been true. She wasn't good enough for him. He's perfect and wonderful. Shewas the problem. She wasn't perfect. Shewasn't smart enough. Shewasn't pretty enough for someone like him.

Her hand dropped to her flat belly.

She may not have been pretty enough or smart enough, but that didn't stop him from having sex with her and stealing her virginity, did it? So, she was pretty enough to fuck, but not to be his for eternity.

She shook her head and scratched at her wrist.

Edward wouldn't have done this to her. He wouldn't have done it at all. He was so against having a sexual relationship with her. He believed—truly believed—he'd hurt her. Or worse, kill her.

And yet, here you are, knocked up, carrying who the hell knows what! Who else could it have been if not your precious Edward?

She closed her eyes. Her spinning mind and contradicting thoughts were giving her a headache. She didn't know what was right and what wasn't anymore.

Maybe she hadn't known Edward. The real Edward. But she still couldn't imagine him doing something like that to her. That wasn't him.

Or, it wasn't the him you think you know.

Maybe.

After the breakup, life stopped for Bella. She became nothing more than a shell of her former self. She had no appetite. No enthusiasm for life. Her whole body hurt. Breathing became painful. The hole in her heart felt like it was growing bigger with every moment that passed.

She couldn't pull herself out of the funk that had swallowed her whole. She was drowning within her own mind and nobody around her knew.

And then, something inside of her moved . . .

Something dark.

Something unnatural.

She didn't know what it was at first. For a while, she even thought she was imagining it. Because this couldn't be happening. She could be . . .

Bella's eyes shifted to her desk where she'd left the seven positive pregnancy tests and she had to wonder exactly what was growing inside of her.

Was it human?

No.

That wasn't right.

It couldn't be human. The father was a vampire.

If this is Edward's doing.

Maybe it was someone else . . .

Whatever had happened, whatever was growing inside of her, it was not human.

But, what? Some type of half and half. A halfling? A hybrid? Part vampire, part human?

Imagine that. A tiny killing machine that craves the blood of innocent humans . . .

She didn't like to think that all vampires were monsters. There were good vampires, too. The Cullen's weren't evil. They drank animal blood. They didn't believe in taking human lives. They were . . . good!

This thing inside of her didn't feel good.

It felt wrong.

Unnatural.

Dark.

Inhuman.

Cold and ravenous.

How was she supposed to raise a child like that?

Perhaps the better question was, would she survive the pregnancy?

After seeing what the father was capable of, Bella couldn't imagine her human body would cope with a pregnancy like this.

Did that mean, in nine months, she'd be dead?

Would it be nine months?

It's only been fifteen days since her birthday . . . unless that wasn't when it was conceived. She couldn't say with absolute certainty that it had happened that night.

There were too many questions.

How is she supposed to know any of this?

It's not like she can go to a doctor. She would have called Carlisle but, oh yeah, none of them thought to leave their contact information!

Obviously, they didn't think that she might, one day, need them. Then again, maybe they did, and they just didn't care.

"This is a fuckin' nightmare!" She sighed, running a hand through her hair.

There was no choice. She was out of options. She'd have to tell Charlie the truth and figure out what to do.

She wasn't sure he'd believe her. Actually, she was pretty sure he'd probably have her locked in the loony bin the moment she mentioned vampires. But that was just a chance she'd have to take.

At least if she was committed there'd be doctors around for when the thing decided it was ready to enter the world.

Thankfully—or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it—Renee and Bella's Nan would be arriving in a few days. Though Bella wasn't looking forward to seeing her mother right now, she was happy her Nan was coming. If Charlie didn't believe her, she knew Nan would. She'd always believed in the supernatural. At least Bella could confirm her suspicions.

One thing was for certain—whatever this thing was growing inside of her—it was dark and dangerous. She could almost feel its malicious intentions. This was no baby she was carrying. It was a monster. Pure and simple. And one way or another, she would find a way to destroy it!

AN: Just so we're all on the same page, this pregnancy will be similar to what we all read in the books. But this is not a child Bella is carrying, it is a monster-vampire-soulless-teeny-tiny-killing machine. It is pure evil.

Let me know what you thought in the comments and I'll be back soon with another chapter! xoxo