CHAPTER SIXTEEN:

Edward entered the living room on silent footsteps and Rosalie straightened up, rising to her feet in a graceful, fluid movement. "I need a moment." She said, softly. I watched her glide from the room, a worried frown on my face.

"She'll be okay." Edward said, quietly. I smiled half-heartedly at him.

"Yeah. She's strong. Doesn't mean I don't feel sad for her." Edward sat down on the couch beside me and wrapped an arm around me. I leaned into him and exhaled, closing my eyes. "Merlin, that sucks." I muttered. "I've never... pregnancy, motherhood; neither have ever really been a thing for me. I've never thought about them, outside of not wanting a kid. Or, at least, I didn't want a kid. Until this. Until now. Now there's a baby of my own growing in me. And I love it already– my life is going to change completely, but as horribly sappy as it sounds I already can't imagine it otherwise."

"You're right– that is horribly sappy," Edward teased. I opened my eyes again and looked up at him. He looked tired and there were tight lines on his face, but his golden eyes were soft now, not hard and angry.

"I am sorry I didn't tell you." I told him quietly. "It was a really crappy thing to do, and unbelievably selfish of me. And I know it's not a proper excuse, but I was trying to process the fact my whole life was about to change forever, and... I was scared. Because the baby is growing quickly, and I'm not naïve enough to think that doesn't spell trouble– the sort of trouble that could potentially kill me. So I tried to pretend it wasn't happening; hiding it from you meant hiding it from myself, hiding from what it could and would mean. Obviously both didn't work out, not exactly anyway. But I do know this– this is our child, Edward. I'm not against abortion, I do understand it, and I certainly don't condemn women who undergo it, but I won't do it. It would kill me, and do so far more completely and devastatingly then carrying and giving birth to a vampire hybrid ever could, no matter the high risks I know are involved. And I'm sorry that you're being hurt by this, but that's the way it is."

Edward cupped my face with his cold hands, leaning forwards to gently rest his forehead against mine. "It's behind us, Bella. And I can't say that I'm happy about this, but I'm not going to demand you have the foetus removed."

"The baby."

"Pardon?" he asked. "What about it?"

"Yeah," I said flatly, "that. You and Qiang, you're both not calling our child a baby. Just 'the foetus'. Or 'it'."

Edward closed his eyes and exhaled, his cool breath brushing against my face. "I'm trying, Bella. I haven't had time to process yet." He said, quietly. "I don't mean to bring it up, but you did have five days. I've had a few hours. I'm trying." I winced, the guilt uncomfortably heavy.

"Sorry. I'm sorry."

Edward grimaced. "No, don't apologize, love. I shouldn't have said that, it was petty. This is... just not a situation either of us expected to find ourselves in. I dare say, me even more then you."

"Watch it, hubby," I grumbled half-heartedly. "I'm the one carrying our darling, little love-child right now, which involves vomiting my guts up multiple times a day, bloating, swollen ankles, sore breasts and the headache I am currently experiencing."

"Ah, my apologies," Edward said, with a slight smile. "I just meant that your body was always capable of conceiving a child, I just didn't realise mine was. I always thought it was impossible."

"Apparently it was just improbable." I sighed. "Everything about this situation is improbable– we're going to be the world's most improbable and unconventional family: the witch, the vampire and the hybrid."

Probably despite himself, Edward's lips quirked into a brief smile. "You should rest," he said, gently. "Maybe a nap will get rid of the headache." I nodded.

"I am pretty tired." I admitted.

"Bed or couch?" He asked.

"Couch is fine. I'm not quite bedridden yet." I said, wriggling down along the sofa so I was stretched out along it. Edward gently adjusted the blankets, tucking me up. I felt a bit like a child, but I was also cozy and comfortable and easily drifted off.

-

When I woke up, it felt like my hormones had been kicked into overdrive– the good kind of hormones, that is; the ones that made me want to mount my husband and ride him for days. Not that that was exactly possible with my current... growth. Not that I was the 'abstain from sex during pregnancy' sort of girl, of course, despite my complete lack of urge to do anything with Edward the past two days. But right now I didn't have a headache, I didn't feel any nausea and my breasts didn't hurt. It was the most normal I'd felt in days, apart from the insistent throbbing between my legs.

"You're awake," the very welcome voice of my husband said.

"Mmm," I hummed, pushing myself up so I was in a sitting position. He, of course, leaned over to help. Looking around the room, blinking away the last vestiges of sleep, I couldn't see anyone else. "Where are the others?" I asked, casually as I could.

"Charlie went back to his house to pack a bag." Edward explained. "He then has a night shift at work, but is planning to arrange to take the next two months off. Qiang left when he did, off to do research. Rosalie and Emmett left before they both did for some alone time– it's hard for Rose to talk about that night. They said they'll be back in what's now about half an hour."

Half an hour. I could definitely work with that, I decided.

I wasn't sure how to go about convincing Edward to have sex with my very pregnant self, but he managed to solve that particular dilemma for me by leaning down to place what was probably intended on being a chaste but loving kiss on my lips. The second his lips touched mine, though, I immediately deepened it, because with his mouth pressed against mine I wanted him so much that it was as if my entire world had shrunk down to Edward's mouth, his tongue, his hands, god, his hands; had I mentioned how much I loved his hands?

Currently, those hands I loved were gently cradling my face, holding me like I was something so utterly precious, his thumbs rubbing gentle circles over my cheekbones, and if I wasn't so greedy I could probably stay like that forever.

But I was that greedy, and I was distracted from the kiss by an entirely seperate desire, a need for far more then what I was getting. Now that my husband was actually touching me again, I wanted everything and my nerves were already tingling with anticipation as my core throbbed with wet heat.

Edward tried to move back, but I clung stubbornly to him, like a very sexy limpet– growth aside.

"Bella–" he predictably tried to protest, but I interrupted.

"Come on, Edward!" I complained, annoyed. "Haven't you worked out by now that that doesn't work? We've got the house for, like, twenty-five more minutes– let's make the most of it!"

"Bella, you should be taking it easy." He said gently. "You're pregnant, remember?"

"Of course I bloody remember I'm bloody pregnant, Edward!" I snapped, even more annoyed now. "After all, I'm the one who has the morning sickness, the nausea, people constantly touching my stomach, invading my personal space–"

"Mood swings," Edward suggested, lips twitching suspiciously.

"And increased sex drive," I finished, arms crossed under my breasts, which felt a bit odd. They'd increased about a cup size and felt heavy and awkward. "I read about it– everything down there gets all engorged from extra blood blow and sensitive and stuff. And soon I'll be even more bloated then I am now and all gross, so I want sex while you can still look at me."

"You'll always be beautiful to me, Bella," Edward said earnestly, the loveable lug, before his face tightened. "And I think you're losing more weight then you're gaining, love." He traced his fingertips over my cheekbones, concern on his handsome features.

"You say the unsexiest things." I muttered. "Nothing tastes right. It keeps coming up when I try to eat. Now are we doing it or not?"

"And I say the unsexiest things?" He teased, and I scowled at him before tugging the skirt of the sundress up above my hips then hooking around sides of the underwear I was wearing with my thumbs.

"This is the first time in two days I've felt the urge to do the tango for two– now be a good husband and fulfill your marital duty." I ordered.

"I'm not going to have sex with you, Bella." Edward said, gently but firmly. "That's what got us in this situation to start with. But," he added, when I started to glare at him, "weren't you the one who first brought up there being more to sex then just penetration?"

"What are you– oh. Oh! Yes, I like that idea– let's do that," I said, suddenly enthusiastic about the direction the conversation had taken. Edward chuckled, his mouth turned up in the crooked smile I loved. He gently nudged my thighs apart so he could stand between them and kiss me. "I can think of better things for that mouth to be doing," I said breathlessly, between kisses. He chuckled again.

"Very well, I get the hint," he said, before lowering himself down so he was kneeling in front of the sofa, between my spread legs. He made a gorgeous picture there, and I bit back a moan as his hands replaced mine, hooking through my panties and tugging them down over my hips, with me wriggling on the couch and shifting my weight so he could tug them down past my butt, and then down my legs.

I shivered as he softly ran his fingertips along the sensitive exposed skin of my inner thighs, my legs twitching. I always felt a bit self-conscious when I was exposed like this, as well as frustrated that he wasn't touching me already where I wanted him to, where I needed him. "Come on, come on, don't tease!" I hissed impatiently, "we don't have time, come on– ooh!"

Edward had always been a quick learner. This particular... 'field' was no different. He knew how to play me, to play my body, as well as his piano; he knew when to retract his tongue, how to press forward and twist, when to apply suction, or to blow gently, and when to slide back in.

Soon, I had one hand tangled in his hair, pushing his head further into me as I stared down at him. Without losing even an ounce of concentration or focus on his task, he switched his attention up to my eyes; his were dark with desire as he closed his mouth flush against me, pressing against me ever so slightly with the blunt part of his teeth, and oh god, there it was; I reached my brink with a choked cry, trembling with it and squeezing his head with my thighs as I tumbled over.

I must have lost a few seconds while enjoying the blissful after-waves, because the next thing I was aware of was Edward smoothing the skirt of the dress back down over my legs.

Sated and wanting to return the favor, I reached out to grab the expensive leather of his belt with one hand, reaching out for the buckle with the other. He gently brushed my hand away before I could reach it.

"Plenty of time for that later, my love," he said.

"Not now?" There was undeniably a hint of a whine in my voice, and his eyes crinkled with amusement.

"Not unless you'd appreciate an audience."

"Voyeurism isn't one of the kinks I've discovered since my sexual awakening." I conceded. "Though under the right circumstances, it could be kind of hot."

"Maybe." He laughed, and I was pleased to see how much more relaxed he seemed now. "But I don't think my siblings are involved in those particular circumstances." He paused for a moment and rolled his eyes. "Though Emmett and Rose might disagree."

I gave a surprised laugh. "Out of all of you, those two do strike me most as the swinger type." I snickered. Edward shook his head, still smiling.

"Less swingers, more just perverts."

"The things you learn about your new in-laws when you're married!" I shook my head, mock-scandalised.

Still sated and feeling all sorts of light and floaty, I laid back along the couch as Edward opened the windows, presumably to air out the room. My cheeks warmed a bit at the thought Emmett and Rosalie would have a pretty good idea of what we'd been up to, and where Edward's head had been a few minutes ago, but I was too loose-limbed and happy to really care. 

Of course, that's when Edward's phone rang. He answered, then passed it to me. "It's Alice," he said, before smiling slightly. "I'm going to go clean up– I'll be back in a moment."

"Clean– ah, right." My cheeks burned a bit hotter as he gestured to his face. "Hey Alice," I said, lifting the phone to my ear.

She, it turned out, was not happy with me.

"Bella. You've officially given me a headache." She snapped. I blinked, feeling uncertain.

"Um, sorry?" I offered.

"You should be!" She growled lightly. "Do you know how hard it is trying to see your future right now? Well let me enlighten you– it's like I'm trying to see through bad reception on a television screen! And I can't see the foetus at all!"

"The baby, Alice," I corrected her, annoyed. Why did everyone keep doing that? "Stop dehumanising my child by calling them a foetus. It won't work."

"Oh it's working just fine for me," she muttered darkly.

"Did you ring us to do anything but yell at me and imply my baby is a monster that I should kill?" I snapped. "Because I don't actually need to listen to this, you know!" Alice exhaled noisily, the sound sharp and frustrated.

"I didn't mean to yell. I'm just frustrated." She said. "I can't see your future, Bella– do you know how terrifying that is? It's almost like you're dead. When I stopped getting visions of you I just assumed it was because I was trying to tune out of all the sex you were having with my brother. And then I learn that you're pregnant, and when I force myself to See, your future is so blurry I'm not even sure what I'm Seeing! Can you see why I might be upset right now?"

"That's sort of interesting, you know." I said, purposefully not answering. "You can see normal humans, witches and wizards and vampires, but not shifters or apparently vampire hybrids."

"Yes, very interesting." Alice said flatly. She then paused. "Okay, fine, it is interesting." She conceded. "But it's not what I'm worried about right now."

"Don't worry about me, or give yourself a migraine trying to see my future. You need to stay sharp– you're in dangerous territory right now, in case you've forgotten."

"That was the other reason I rang, actually. Jasper and I got into touch with one of the old warlords." She paused, and I could practically see her worry. "It's not good, Bella– he said Maria approached him about joining forces against the hit wizard squad– he called them sorcerers. He said that she talked about having special objects that would protect him from the sorcerer's magic."

I sucked in a startled breath. "Maria got her hands on some sort of protection charms? How in Merlin's name did she manage that?" I asked, shocked.

"So it's true? It's possible?" Alice demanded.

"In a manner of speaking, yeah it's possible. It's not my area of expertise, warding objects, or imbuing them with protection charms. And the spells would weaken every time they were used. What Maria's talking about is powerful magic– really powerful."

"If I had one of those objects, would you be able to get any useful information from it?" Alice asked. I frowned.

"Unless I knew the person who cast the magic well enough to recognise their magical signature, I wouldn't be able to learn much about who cast it, but I might be able to say what sort of spells were on it. There are others though, experts in this sort of thing, that could learn much more. Why? Do you have one?"

"We will." Alice said. "Got to go, sorry. Bye Bella!"

"Wait, Alice–" I said, alarmed, but she'd already hung up. "Oh hell. This isn't good." I muttered, lowering the phone down from my ear to stare at it. "Shit. This is so not good."