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Post by Bella Swan on Jan 6, 2009 19:24:43 GMT -5
Now on her feet, one arm still cradled around her precious midriff, Bella stretched a somewhat strained smile on to her face. It wasn’t that she was annoyed at Edward at all, she appreciated that he thought he was doing the best for her, he didn’t understand how magnificence the baby she held was. She couldn’t know that he was going to be a perfect replica of his father. No, her smile strained with worry, with crazy hormones that she didn’t understand, that she had thought she would never experience. She knew she had been given a gift in carrying Edward’s child and he would understand later. If she could get Rosalie to agree to her plan.
“I know you will,” she whispered to him through a choked up throat, bringing her free hand up to his face to trace his jaw line. She wondered if his son would have the same solid, perfect feature. She didn’t linger though, like she usually did, but let him go easily, her brown eyes lingering on his back as he left the beautiful house.
As soon as she was certain that he had left and was beyond even his astonishing earshot, she scrambled around for the house phone. She pressed her hand to her stomach as the little nudger made himself known again. “I know, I know,” she muttered, picking up the cordless landline phone and searching through its programmed phonebook. “It’s okay, we’re getting this sorted out now, you’re safe. Don’t worry.”
Her eyes focused sharply on the display of the telephone until they scrolled down to ’Rosalie’ and it showed her a cell phone number. She only hoped that it was up-to-date, though from what she knew of the Cullens, it would be somehow self-updating or something equally as fancy. She took a deep breath and stood at the wide glass doors, looking out over the gloriously sun kissed landscape, regretting that she would have to return to Forks and the rain so soon. Her breath started to come quicker, her heart hammering against her chest as the phone rang and she waited for the blond vampire to pick up.
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Post by Carlisle Cullen on Jan 9, 2009 8:17:53 GMT -5
As he softly shut the door to his black Mercedes, Carlisle heard the subtle trilling of his cell phone, and dipped his hand into his pocket to answer. His blond brows instantly mashed together as the called ID told him it was his son and worry immediately assaulted his chest. His son and his new daughter-in-law were on the honeymoon, and unless there was something seriously wrong, he hadn’t been expecting to hear from them. That was part of the point of Isle Esme, it’s seclusion - he remembered having the same in mind when he procured it for Esme in the first place. One of his more romantic gestures, even he had to admit. Within a fraction of a ring he accepted the call and brought it to his ear.
“Edward?” he inquired into the silver device, moving to stand to the back of the garage, near their well-organised emergency supplies. He kept his tone calm, though anyone would be worried to hear from their son halfway through their honeymoon. Especially considering that their son was a vampire and his bride a human. “Is everything alright?”
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Rosalie Hale
Dazzled
Vegetarian Vampire, PsychoBlonde
Over my pile of ashes.
Posts: 233
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Post by Rosalie Hale on Jan 9, 2009 22:43:59 GMT -5
It was odd that Rosalie was sitting in the open first floor of the Cullen home. It wasn't because she was alone when she could have been with Emmett, or because she had declined Alice's invitation to go shopping. She sat on their pristine, white couch with a photo album in her lap and about 300 pictures on their modern coffee table in a bit of organized chaos. Each one held a memory of her brother's wedding to Bella. She had spent much of her acquaintance with Bella being abrasive and even rude sometimes, but the day of the wedding she had come to the realization that there was no way around it. She had hurt her brother's feelings by being openly disapproving of Bella, and had even almost caused his death. When the girl had crossed the ocean to save him, Rosalie had a new appreciation for her. It was many months after that and she still had reservations about Bella joining them; she still thought it was the wrong choice and that no one should willingly choose it, but she could not deny her will, as Carlisle had said.
She was not naturally kind and bright towards others like her sister Alice, but she had set an effort to at least show some affection. Perhaps compiling a photo album for them was not the right answer, but it may be a step in the right direction. Besides, Rosalie had always loved weddings. Just as she picked up a photo of Carlisle and Esme dancing, she recognized the unique hum of her father's car arriving. She knew he would approve of her effort, but she mostly looked forward to not seeing his reproachful glance whenever she said something that was offensive.
She was listening for the sound of his footsteps to enter the house, but instead heard the soft ring of his phone. She perked an eyebrow and a small grin appeared on her perfect lips when he answered Edwards call. Why was he calling in the middle of his honeymoon. She stifled a giggle as she imagined Emmett mercilessly teasing him and accusing him of still not knowing the theory of what should be done, even after being 100 years old. She held the sound of her laughter, not wanting to answer Carlisle if he asked what she was laughing at, but it was cut short when her own phone rang. She picked it from the coffee table where it had been wedged between two different stacks of photos and glanced at the name. Her face rearranged itself to display a bit more shock. Bella had never called her, and she had never had any reason to do so in return. In fact, the only reason she had Bella's number programmed into her own was because Alice had secretly entered it without her knowledge.
She wanted to continue coming up with more suggestive comments that Emmett might have said out loud without remorse, but suddenly Carlisle's tone when he answered Edward's call made a little more sense. She flipped the phone and brought it to her ear, feeling awkward at willingly communicating with Bella. "Hello?"
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Post by Bella Swan on Jan 10, 2009 11:10:30 GMT -5
The time it took Rosalie to answer the phone felt like an eternity to Bella as she stood vulnerably inside the beautiful, open house on Isle Esme. When the blond vampire’s voice sounded on the other end of the line, however, Bella’s stomach just about dropped through the floor. Her emotions toiled around her, an awful mixture of dread, hope, nervousness, fear. In her condition it was all she could do to stop herself from just breaking down and crying nonsense down the phone. She, somehow, didn’t think Rosalie would be too receptive of that. Thus, she managed to force herself to stay sensible, although her breathing was shallower than usual.
“Rosalie, it’s Bella,” she said, her voice ever so carefully even. She knew the words were unnecessary, but they were a test of whether she would actually be able to squeeze words out of her constricted throat or not. She took a deep breath. “I know we’ve not seen eye to eye on… anything… but I really need your help…”
She trailed off with a frown as she felt her eyes begin to prick uncomfortably. She rubbed her hand over her bump, comforting both herself and her child. “You’re the only one I can turn to - I’m preg-nant…”
Her voice broke treacherously over the word, remembering the reaction the last time she had said those words to someone. What if she was wrong? She had thought of Rosalie instantly after discovering her own traumatic human life, her yearning for a child. Surely she would understand? She listened with bated breath for her response, unable to continue for a while, until she managed to rein in some one her emotions.
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Post by Edward Cullen on Jan 10, 2009 12:53:04 GMT -5
Edward had placed the bags into the car and stood beside it holding onto the phone. He was grateful that Carlisle answered so quickly but at the same time he felt speechless as he heard his father's voice. As he heard the concerned question he knew very well that everything was not alright. If what they believed was true, than things were far from being right. They were disasterous.
Edward knew he had been quiet too long, and he had to respond before he worried his father even more. "No..." He said his voice barely above a whisper as he tried to gather the courage to explain to his father what had occured. "Bella's pregnant" He finally managed to get out the words, knowing that no good could come of this and that he had to protect Bella from whatever he had done to her before it killed her.
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Post by Carlisle Cullen on Jan 12, 2009 19:42:09 GMT -5
Carlisle rested his free hand on the counter, his blond brows instantly mashing together in worry, but also in concentration. His expansive brain immediately got to work with all the complex knowledge he had stored away about pregnancy, both hybrid and human, the likelihood of relative successes and terminations, odds of full-term carriage, compared to dangers of the same. A second or so of silence was all it took for his brain to formulate everything it needed from the knowledge that he had.
“Right,” he kept his voice carefully calm and soothing, it didn’t take a genius to hear the tension in Edward’s voice. He inhaled, focusing on the neutrally coloured wall as he thought through the options and gave Edward a rational amount of time to think. As panicked as he may be, he didn’t want to push him to a decision without making him think about it first. Thus, as he started talking again, it was in a slow, deliberate way. “You’re coming home then,” he surmised. “What are you wanting to do about it?”
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Rosalie Hale
Dazzled
Vegetarian Vampire, PsychoBlonde
Over my pile of ashes.
Posts: 233
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Post by Rosalie Hale on Jan 13, 2009 0:20:36 GMT -5
Rosalie kept an ear on Carlisle's response to Edward, suspicious that he and Bella were separated and making separate calls to different Cullens. Had she not been curious as to what each phone call was about, she would have rolled her eyes at Bella's introduction. Who else would it be? She heard the girl hesitate and suddenly take a breath before struggling the beginning of her words. Something wasn't quite right. Bella had called her, before any other Cullen, despite them not seeing 'eye to eye'. What kind if help cold she possibly offer that another one of them couldn't? The answer came in Bella's broken sentence, ending in the stress evident in her voice.
Rose froze where she sat, never before looking more like a statue of an ancient goddess. Shock stunted all her thoughts before generating new, panicked and confused ones. A familiar ache she had never been able to be rid of stabbed at her frozen heart. The envy over Bella she had been trying to dutifully conquer flared anew. Grief was starting to take its toll as well until she heard Carlisle's voice emerge once again. What were they wanting to do? She quickly realized that the two phone calls were, indeed necessary. If she knew her brother at all, and she very much did, he would certainly come home as Carlisle suggested and find a way to keep Bella from harm. It was what he had been putting all his energy into for the last 3 years.
Here was Bella, the girl who had foolishly entered their family and giving up all the beautiful things a human life could give her. But it seemed that she would not walk away without at least one human treasure. Is this what this was about? Did she want to keep it? She knew the very second considered it that Edward most certainly did not. Bella must have known that calling another Cullen would be her only chance in saving it; and had contacted the very Cullen that would have died again to be in her position. A few moments of shock passed before Rosalie could speak. "What did Edward say? He wants it gone, doesn't he?" she asked, afraid that she was right. "Of course he doesn't," she answered herself. Foolish Edward.
She found herself standing up and pacing, with Bella on the other side. "And you?" Suddenly this question had become important. While she already suspected the answer, and therefore the reason Bella had called her, she needed to hear it from her firsthand.
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Post by Edward Cullen on Jan 13, 2009 23:00:13 GMT -5
Edward listened for Carlisle's response, knowing his father would give him any support he needed. Edward felt so foolish for having allowed this to happen. He should have known better. If only he had had more self control, he could have prevented this. He could have insisted to Bella that they wait until she was changed to try anything of the sort. He appreciated that Carlisle didn't scold him for his mistake. He probably knew that Edward already felt guilty enough for it.
"Bella and I will be leaving for the airport soon, I'm just putting our bags in the car now" Edward told his father. When he asked what Edward wanted to do about it, there was no doubt in his mind. "I need to protect Bella...this thing is already big enough to kick her...I cant lose her"
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Post by Carlisle Cullen on Jan 15, 2009 5:48:42 GMT -5
Carlisle’s eyes bulged slightly at the news that the foetus could already kick, he hadn’t reckoned on it growing so quickly. He frowned a little, glad that his son wasn’t there to read his expression, or his mind, though, of course, he would calm himself for Edward if he was there to see him. If the foetus was already moving, that meant it was at the very least the equivalent of an eight-week-old human foetus, but if it was actually kicking, then it could be as developed as a sixteen-week-old, which would be unusual considering this was her first pregnancy… Of course, this was anything but normal, the speed of growth did bring him to grips with the fear he heard in Edward’s voice. Any action they took would have to be immediately after she got back to the house, and she certainly couldn’t go back to Charlie’s for a while at least. He was getting ahead of himself, though, he had to make sure that was what they wanted.
“We’ll be waiting for you here,” he assured his son, his tone smooth and soothing. He turned to get back into his car, he was going to need some extra bits and pieces from the hospital. The Cullens were prepared for almost any eventuality, but an emergency abortion wasn’t one of them. He inhaled as he allowed his car door to close behind him.
“Alright, I understand, I’ll see to her when you both get back. Bella is the main priority,” he paused, knowing Bella’s temperament, he could only imagine the added unwanted stress and hormonal emotions. “Edward, try to keep her calm.”
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Post by Bella Swan on Jan 22, 2009 13:11:16 GMT -5
Bella waited for Rosalie’s response to her inarticulate words with bated breath. Really, she was hinging every single last hope on the hostile vampire, though she knew that Rosalie wasn’t all bad. Her story was awful, it almost made Bella physically cringe at the thought of it - to be so used, abused and finally rendered barren… it was a shame that the vampire life didn’t offer some kind of closure on human desires. Then again, it was that yearning she knew her soul harboured that made Bella decide she would be most receptive to keeping the baby. She swallowed hard as Rose finally spoke, her throat having difficulty over the motion and making a loud gulping sound as it did so. She nodded mutely into the phone as she attempted to compose herself.
“I-I think so,” she stammered, annoyed by the lack of stability in her voice, but she couldn’t think of anything worse. She loved Edward so much, she wanted to do anything she could to make him happy, but she also fiercely loved the boy that she carried in her abdomen. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him, it was the only single thing that she could deny her husband, indirectly. Even if it meant staying human for the next few years, she would do that. She swallowed down more air, her brain feeling foggy with emotion. “He’s said he was going to call Carlisle… at first I thought it was just to make sure we were both okay, but…”
She couldn’t even bring herself to say it out loud, that Edward was going to get Carlisle to kill their baby. She shuddered, happy, for once, that she was alone for nobody to see her. She swallowed once more, her voice once more thickening with emotion. “I can’t lose it, Rose. I… well… he’s ours now. Will you help me?”
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Rosalie Hale
Dazzled
Vegetarian Vampire, PsychoBlonde
Over my pile of ashes.
Posts: 233
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Post by Rosalie Hale on Jan 24, 2009 0:33:47 GMT -5
Stopping in the middle of her pace, she listened to both Bella's struggling words and the instructions Carlisle was given Edward on his side. He was going to give Edward what he wanted, and in turn Edward was doing everything to preserve Bella's life. The equation was unbalanced and disproportionate, excluding the one thing that only Bella was taking fully into account... and now Rosalie too. She suddenly felt a great streak of concern, and fear, for Bella... and the baby. A baby. It would not be hers, but the more Rosalie entertained the idea, the more she felt that it was certainly better than nothing. And somehow Bella had done something that had surprised her. She had been selfish, throwing her life away to become one of them. But here she was taking something into account that was much bigger and much more important.
Bella is the main priority," she heard Carlisle say. This was going to be difficult, but they had to at least try. Moving farther away from the living room, to avoid detection from Carlisle, she stepped out the back door. "Listen to Edward for now," she told her quietly, speaking quickly, for they only had a few moments. "Don't let him suspect you, so try not to say anything at all. He says you're not a very good liar." She had never really thought twice about Bella's unusual ability to block Edward's ability. She suddenly felt it was a stroke of luck on their side. "You can hide your thoughts for now, but he'll know something once you get off the plane and can hear us all. We'll all be at the airport," she told her, surprised with herself that she now sounded encouraging, comforting. "Come to me, not Carlisle."
She snapped her phone shut, sensing that Carlisle's conversation was also at a close. If anyone had the least issues with disagreeing with Carlisle, it was Rosalie. But she knew that this would certainly put them all in bad spirits against each other. She walked back inside, trying to find a neutral position for her expression, and started up the stairs to look for Emmett.
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Post by Bella Swan on Feb 1, 2009 21:20:23 GMT -5
As she listened to Rosalie’s response, Bella couldn’t stop herself from shaking, so nervous about what she had to do, what was happening to her. She almost felt like she was betraying her husband, but what other choice did she have? None that she could see. Though her own stubbornness could match Edward’s own, she knew that there would be no fighting him on an issue that endangered her own health, there never was. It had taken her years to get him to even consider turning her into one of them, and she was fairly sure that she would still be having the argument had the Volturi not threatened to weigh in on the situation. She understood, sort of, why he didn’t feel connected to his son that was growing inside her, but she couldn’t bend to it. The little nudger was more important than she was now, it was he that Bella was put here to protect.
“I-I’ll try,” she stuttered down the phone, her voice a groggy whisper. At least Edward assumed that she was as upset as he was about the pregnancy, which could explain the tears and the human unpleasantness. Rosalie was right, she was a useless liar, though she had been getting better recently. Still, her husband would be able to see through her in an instant, so she would remain dumb throughout the journey. It shouldn’t be too difficult, she was finding herself weary as it was. She swallowed as Rosalie continued to give her instructions, appreciating the blond vampire for the first time, from the bottom of her heart. “Okay. I’ll come to you at the airport and then we’ll save our baby. Oh!”
Her hand flew to the bump as it nudged her skin outward once more and, despite the despair in her thoughts, a small smile edged at the corner of her mouth. By the time she had recovered, however, Rosalie had ended the call and all she had to do was remain there for Edward’s return. She picked herself up from the floor and walked, slowly, to the front door, ready to make the journey. Her stomach rumbled and she looked down at her it, ruefully.
“What do you want?” she whispered, wrapping her arms around her middle. “Anything I give you, you reject.” She let out a deep sigh and waited for her husband to return.
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Post by Edward Cullen on Feb 4, 2009 13:48:43 GMT -5
Edward appreciated Carlisle's calm nature more than any words he could have spoken right now. The fact that his usually composed father remained that way despite hearing the news gave him hope that this situation could be resolved positively. If Carlisle had become nervous or frazzled, it would have destroyed any remainder of Edward that was left in tact right now.
"Thank you" Edward told him sincerely as he assured him Bella would be the top priority. Knowing that his father was looking out for Bella's health and safety gave him confidence that Bella would be alright. If anyone could save her it was Carlisle. "And I'm sorry..." He added softly, knowing that this was his fault. He should have considered these consequences before the honeymoon, now he was just causing more trouble for the family, as if he hadn't done enough in the past.
"I'll do my best to keep her calm...we'll be home soon" Edward said as they hung up. With the bags now all in the car he headed back inside, hoping that Bella was doing alright despite the horrible situation he had put her in. He saw her already by the door when he got there. "Are you ready to go?"
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Post by Carlisle Cullen on Feb 11, 2009 17:41:37 GMT -5
Carlisle frowned a little as he stood in the garage, poised between the joining door to the main house and his car. He didn’t want Edward to feel as though this was all his fault, because he knew that his son was just the kind of person to think so. It could have happened to any one of them that fell in love with a human. “Edward, I know you’re probably feeling guilty right now. Don’t lay all the blame on your shoulders, it doesn’t belong there – it was a mistake and we’ve all made those. What matters now is getting Bella home and safe.”
The little, private pucker of a frown remained on Carlisle’s brow, however, knowing that his son would not lose the blame lightly. He had extended him his honest words of comfort, though, and he was offering his complete help, there was nothing more he could do. As Edward hung up the phone, Carlisle placed the little cell phone into his coat pocket, turning back to the slinky Mercedes, his intention now to prepare for Edward and Bella’s return. No doubt Rosalie would be curious about the situation, but he would explain it when he got back. It wouldn’t take him an hour.
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Post by Bella Swan on Feb 11, 2009 17:49:02 GMT -5
Bella couldn’t keep the pained expression from her face as she saw Edward approach again; she felt like she was being torn asunder. However, she was determined that she would make it out of this alive, with both husband and son, and in a loving family. She knew that Edward would change his mind about the baby when he saw it for the first time, the way that she had in her dreams. She inhaled through her nose, filling her lungs to bursting point and put her hand out to be grasped by her husband.
As she walked to the car she kept her dark eyes on the dusty path that led them to it, risking just a couple of glances at her beloved as they made the laboriously hot steps. She kept Rosalie’s at the forefront of her mind – stay quiet, he’ll know in a second if he hears you lie – repeating it like a sick mantra. There was nothing she wanted to do more than to curl up in his comfortingly chilly lap and trust him to leave her well being up to her. Even though the walk to the car wasn’t long one, because she knew what she was doing, she felt incredibly guilty by the time she sat down. She looked across at him, conflict on her face and finally managed to whisper. “Edward? I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
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