The time for sleep is now
It's nothing to cry about
'cause we'll hold each other soon
In the blackest of rooms
I Will Follow You Into The Dark – Death Cab for Cutie
I awoke the next morning to the rough sensation of Edward's slight stubble on my stomach followed by some of the most tender kisses I'd ever felt. Smiling to myself, I reached down and slid my hand through his hair, but didn't bother to open my eyes. Ever since we'd found out for sure I was having his baby – even thinking that made me smile – Edward had become almost transfixed by my stomach, touching it almost constantly and kissing it sporadically throughout the night.
After the initial shock had worn off, Edward had switched into 'must know everything' mode, practically interrogating Didyme about all things pregnancy. I'd taken some prenatal vitamins straight away, which seemed to appease him a little, and he'd immediately insisted that I 'take it easy' despite my protests that I was pregnant, not dying.
In all honesty, I couldn't complain in the slightest. His reaction only proved how much he wanted this baby, and seeing him take things to heart so quickly gave me high hopes for when he finally met Jake. I knew he would never be able to replace Billy – nobody would – but I hoped Jake would think of him as a father figure and accept him into his life without any problems.
"What time is it?"
"A little after ten," he murmured, gently kissing my stomach again. I opened my eyes, grateful the lights were still off, then looked down at Edward, who was watching his fingers move back and forth across my skin.
"Doing that won't make he or she grow any faster, baby," I teased. He looked up at me sheepishly.
"Sorry."
Smiling, I rolled my eyes. "Come here."
Edward pushed himself upwards until our lips met, but still kept his hand against my stomach. I laughed softly and shook my head.
"The baby isn't going anywhere for a long time," I assured him. "You don't have to keep your hand there all the time."
"I want to," he mumbled, not sounding even the least embarrassed about it. "It's comforting."
"It makes this a little awkward, though." To prove my point, I slowly rolled us over so that I was straddling him, accidentally trapping his hand between us in the process. "See?"
He shrugged, reaching down with his free hand to palm my slightly sore ass. "I don't see the problem."
I sighed in defeat; he'd never agree. "Fine, you win."
He grinned widely, squeezing my ass and making me groan. His smile quickly faded.
"You're not… Did that hurt?"
"No, no, no," I soothed, shaking my head. "It's just a little sore, that's all. A good sore. The kind that reminds you of the amazing sex you had the night before."
"Amazing, huh?" he teased, smirking.
"Intense… Incredible… Overwhelming… Take your pick."
"You can't imagine how…" he trailed off with a soft moan, gently pushing his hips up to mine and letting me feel just how hard the memory had made him. "Baby, it was so…"
Leaning down to kiss him, I murmured, "So…?"
"You really wanna know?" He sounded almost apprehensive.
"I do," I told him truthfully. "Tell me?"
He let out an unsteady breath. "Hot… Soft…" He shook his head and closed his eyes, unable to stop his hips from shifting. "Tight…"
"That good, huh?" I teased.
"Bella, it was…" He seemed to choose his words carefully. "Perfect."
"Good," I said softly as I kissed him once again. "Because I'd really like to try that again some time."
"But you didn't…" His disappointment shone through, much like it had the night before.
"So?" I understood why he'd be a little disappointed by the fact I hadn't had an orgasm, but it wasn't a big deal. To me, anyway. "Baby, the connection and… knowing we were giving each other a part of…" I rolled my eyes at how badly I was describing it. "It was enough."
He smiled softly, gently stroking my cheek. "I love you."
"And I love you," I murmured, then kissed him slowly again, rocking my hips. I felt Edward laugh quietly against my lips after a few seconds and lifted my head, confused. That certainly wasn't the reaction I'd been hoping for.
"What?"
"Sorry. I just… I still can't quite believe that you're actually…" he trailed off, but I knew what he was going to say. I smiled back at him, gently running my fingers down his face.
"We're pregnant," I corrected softly. "I know I'm the one who has to carry this baby for nine months, but… It's our pregnancy, not just mine."
"You're amazing. You know that?" he sighed. I felt my eyes start to well up, and silently cursed myself for getting so emotional.
"I'm amazing with you," I told him truthfully. "Before I came here? Well, the only thing I was good at was my job." I rolled my eyes again. "Aaaaand I'm getting too heavy. Let's just go back to you kissing our baby, okay?"
"Bella," he chided, shaking his head, clearly thinking I wasn't being serious. I shifted off of him and rolled onto my back, giving him a pointed look which made him smile brightly.
Settling on his side, Edward moved further down the bed until he could reach my stomach better, and I couldn't help but close my eyes and sigh contentedly as he kissed the skin there. I may not have had even the slightest hint of a baby bump yet, but I couldn't deny that it felt soothing to have him do that. Cameras be damned, this moment, this… bubble of happiness we were in was ours and ours alone.
I had no idea how long we ended up laying there for, but I must have fallen asleep at some point while he was stroking my stomach, for when I opened my eyes again, Edward was fully dressed and pacing up and down the suite, talking on his phone.
"… sonal time, if that would be possible? The first trimester's always the most dangerous part, and-… No, of course… Of course…"
I sat up slowly, trying not to disturb him, then shifted back against the pillows and rested my hands against my stomach as I waited for him to finish.
"Thank you very much, Sir… Four thirty's fine. We're meeting up with Royce and Rosalie before we go down, so… Yes… You too, Sir… Oh?... Yes, of course." He turned to look at me then, and when he saw I was awake, his expression morphed from one of frustration into one of happiness. "See you then. Bye."
"Aro?" I guessed as he shoved his cell phone back into his pocket. He nodded, looking irritated.
"He wants to hold a quick group meeting to discuss the Denali situation. It shouldn't take too long, though – half an hour at the most, I hope," he replied, moving over to the bed and taking my hand as he sat beside me.
"When do you have to go?" I wondered, frowning.
"In about ten minutes." My eyes widened in slight panic, but he smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, we'll have plenty of time."
"Should I start prepping everything for the party while you're gone?" I suggested, unsure whether we were camera-free yet. He shook his head.
"Already done, baby," he said softly, leaning down to kiss me. "You were out for a while."
"What do you mean? What time is it?" I reached for my phone, which was on the bedside table, but Edward gently took hold of my hands and pulled them to his lips.
"Stop worrying," he soothed, kissing the backs of my fingers. "It's two fifteen." My mouth fell open in shock. "But don't panic, okay? Everything's covered."
He tilted his head over to his desk, where the empty lingerie box now lay open and half empty with the large purse I'd gotten from Vicky the first time I went down there sitting right beside it. We'd decided to stash all the Glocks in there so we could have them within easy reach on our way down without making it obvious we were armed.
"You should have woken me up!" I tried to get out of bed, but Edward gently pushed me back against the pillows again. "You shouldn't have had to do that all by yourself."
It wasn't a lot of work, but that wasn't the point. It was my responsibility, too, and even though we didn't have a set schedule for everything as such, two fifteen was cutting it incredibly close.
"You got in here without any help," he pointed out. "It's only fair I do my bit to get us out, don't you think?"
"But-"
"But nothing," he said softly as he moved one of his hands to my stomach beneath the sheets. "You're doing more than enough as it is."
Any irritation I felt melted away at his touch. "Edward…"
"Just relax," he murmured. "Nothing's going to go wrong. This time tomorrow, you and I will be free from all this, and before you know it, we'll be going house-hunting and shopping for baby clothes."
"You really think so?"
He smiled. "Baby, I know so."
I wished I was as confident as he was, but despite my attempts at pushing all the doubt to the back of my mind, I had a bad feeling that I couldn't shake no matter how hard I tried. I knew it was probably just nerves, but that didn't really help make things better for me. What I needed was right in front of me.
"Kiss me?" I whispered, reaching for his free hand and holding it tightly.
Without hesitation, he leaned in and kissed me deeply, quelling all my fears at once. I didn't have to think when he kissed me like this; it was as easy as breathing.
"I love you," I told him softly. I felt him smile against my lips.
"I love you, too," he whispered back, then kissed me one final time, lingering for a few precious seconds before straightening up and glancing at his phone.
"You need to go," I realized. He nodded reluctantly.
"I'm sorry, baby."
"No, it's okay," I assured him, trying to put on a brave face. I'd be okay on my own for half an hour; it was him I was worried about. "I need to put my dress on and stuff anyway."
We'd had a little debate over what we should both wear, and eventually decided that we should wear what we would have worn to the dinner if this was just any other day, just in case somebody spotted us on our way out. It would be very difficult to explain away more comfortable clothes, especially for me, so the pros outweighed the cons on this one. Luckily for me, we'd figured that my pregnancy would be a decent enough excuse for me to be wearing flat shoes, so I wouldn't have to wear heels. But that was where my luck outfit-wise ran out.
"I'll be back soon, okay? Keep your phone on you at all times, just in case," he said softly.
"I will," I promised, then kissed him chastely before tilting my head towards the door. "Go."
He gazed into my eyes for just a moment, obviously hesitant, then finally nodded and hurried from the room. I stayed there in bed for a few minutes, then reluctantly moved to the wardrobe, dressing as quickly as possible. On my way into the bathroom once I was done, I caught a glimpse of the bag that concealed our weapons out of the corner of my eye and, on a whim, took out one of the Glocks and carried it in there with me. Just in case.
I took my time applying my make-up, and had just finished doing my hair when I heard the bedroom door shut. I glanced down at my phone and smiled. Half an hour exactly.
"Hey, baby," I called. "How'd the meeting go?"
When I didn't get a reply after a few seconds, my heart dropped to my stomach and I reached for the Glock instinctively.
"Edward?"
Thinking fast, I tried to come up with a plan. Staying in here simply wasn't an option. The bag of weapons was open on the desk, right in plain sight, and I was practically a sitting duck with only one way to get out. With a trembling hand, I pressed the number for Edward's speed-dial and clicked the safety off the gun. I had no choice but to confront whoever was out there, and I had to act fast.
I left the phone on the rim of the bathtub as I crept forward, hoping that Edward would take my silence for what it was – a warning. Keeping my back to the wall, I edged closer to the door with my gun out in front of me, listening for any tell tale sounds. All that greeted me was silence, and I briefly wondered if I was just being paranoid.
Go with your gut, Carlisle had once told me. It's usually right.
For once, I hoped he was wrong.
Taking in a deep, steadying breath, I reached for the handle and flung open the door in one smooth movement, then stepped out into the bedroom with my finger hovering over the trigger. In the split second it took for me to notice that the bag of Glocks had disappeared from the desk, I realized my mistake.
"Put the gun down."
My eyes clamped shut. "I-"
"I said…" I felt metal press against the back of my head. "Put. The gun. Down."
"O-Okay," I managed to croak out, then slowly lowered the Glock to the floor before standing up again, both my hands up at my sides. "I can ex-"
"Save it!" he hissed. The pure malice in his voice sent shivers up my spine. "You bitch."
"Royce, plea-"
"Shut up!" he yelled, and I felt tears spill down my cheeks as the gun was pressed against my head with more force. "Shut the fuck up!"
I nodded quickly and swallowed hard.
"I've got to admit… You really had me fooled. You did," he said softly. Too softly. "Was it all an act?"
I didn't respond. I didn't want to risk enraging him further.
"Was any of it real?" It took me a few seconds to work out what he was referring to, and when I did… "Answer me!"
"Yes," I lied, my voice cracking with fear. "It was real."
Royce laughed, and I took the chance to try and distract him slightly. Edward, please hurry…
"All the looks… The flirting… I tried to get you to notice me, but you never…" I tried to force the words out. "You never saw me."
Royce went quiet for a few moments. My words had obviously come as a shock.
"I wanted you… But you were with Rosalie, and I… You never saw me."
"Lies," he spat, but his hesitation was proof that maybe, just maybe, he believed me.
"It's true!" I scrambled to think of an excuse for the guns. "So when Edward said he'd had enough and wanted to leave… I couldn't say no. You didn't give me a reason to stay."
"So, all this… It was Edward's idea?" He only sounded half convinced.
"Of course it was!" I tried to sound aghast. "What? Do you really think I'd be smart enough to come up with this shit by myself?"
"You got in here," he pointed out. It didn't escape my notice that the pressure from the gun had lessened, if only slightly.
"Because he invited me!" I was completely making things up by now, but I could only hope it would buy me enough time to think up a plan. "I thought it would be enough, but… He's not…" I trailed off, trying to sound embarrassed.
"Me?" he supplied. I nodded in agreement. Edward was ten times the man he was. "And now?"
"Now, I want…" I tried to seem worried. "Royce, Edward's going to be back soon, and-"
"No, he's not."
My heart stopped. "W-What?"
"My father's keeping him busy." He seemed proud of that fact. "I figured you and I could finally spend some quality time together."
"You… You want me?" I pretended to be shocked at the news, and gasped when Royce stepped closer, pressing the proof against my ass.
"Does it feel like I want you?" he almost growled. I nodded weakly, grateful the gun was now aimed at the side of my head. "Now… Do you really want me?"
"Yes," I managed to force out.
"Prove it," he challenged. "Prove it to me now, and then we'll go tell my uncle what Edward's trying to do."
I pushed my hips back against his, then whispered, "May I turn around?"
He took a step back, aiming the gun at the back of my head again. "Go ahead."
I slowly started to turn, testing the waters, and once I was facing him, I stared straight into his eyes. Never show fear. I hesitated a moment, then stretched my hand out, pressing it against his chest. He raised his eyebrow at me, daring me to come closer.
I exhaled a nervous breath. I had to do this. For my baby's life, and my own.
Trying to seem tentative rather than terrified, I slowly closed the distance between us, pressing both my hands against his chest so he'd know I wouldn't go for the gun, then tilted my face up to his. He glanced at my lips briefly when I licked them nervously, and I knew I had his attention. I'm sorry, Edward.
Letting my eyes fall shut, I cautiously leaned in and pressed my lips against Royce's, inhaling sharply the moment we touched. He didn't react at first, obviously trying to gauge how truthful I was being, but when I kissed him more firmly and fisted my hands in his shirt, a switch seemed to flip inside of him, and before I could fully comprehend the movement, his hand was pulling my hair and my back was against the wall.
I moaned loudly, parting my lips instantly and moving my own hand into his hair, then spread my legs slightly, trying to act as wanton as possible. His knee quickly slid between my thighs, and I ground myself against it with a soft whimper, pulling his head closer. All I could see was Edward. His face, his smile… I didn't want to taint the images with the memory of Royce, but it was the only way I would be strong enough to get through this. I was doing this so we could be together… so we could have a shot at freedom.
Conscious that the gun was now pressed against my rib cage, I slowly slid my hand down his chest, then hesitated when I reached his waistband. I waited a moment, then kissed him fiercely as I pressed my hand against his erection, palming it over the front of his jeans.
"Oh, God," I moaned, curving my fingers around him. Figuring he would enjoy it, I gently bit down on his bottom lip, then gasped when he lifted his knee slightly, pressing against me more firmly. His free hand slid from my hair down to my breast, squeezing it roughly before slowly moving further down my body.
When his fingertips brushed against my lower abdomen, I felt myself wince automatically, then cried out in pain as he threw me to the ground without warning.
"Royce, please-" I began to beg, but he silenced me by pressing the gun to my forehead.
"Shut the fuck up," he growled, completely livid now. My entire body was trembling, tears running unbidden down my cheeks.
"Please don't kill me," I begged. "Please… Please…"
He just laughed harshly in response, so I blurted out the first thing I could think of while I still had the chance.
"I'm pregnant!" I cried. "Please… That's why we're leaving! I don't want our baby to be brought up into this! Please…"
He went silent for a few moments, and I clamped my eyes shut tightly, fearing the worst.
"Stand up," he spat. My arms and legs were shaking so badly that it took me a few attempts to get to my feet, and the moment I did, Royce gave me a forceful push towards the door. "Walk."
"O-okay." I turned and walked forwards, trying to keep my tears under control. Edward wasn't coming, and even if he did, I knew Royce would kill him on sight. It was a lose-lose situation; I had no choice but to obey him.
"Open the fucking door," Royce hissed. "Now!
Once I did as he'd said, he ordered me to walk down the hallway towards the stairs, and I did so without hesitation. My heart and mind were racing, but both kept coming to the same conclusion; there was no escaping this. The fact he hadn't killed me yet was a miracle, but that didn't mean I'd go unharmed. He had something much worse up his sleeve, I could tell.
"How stupid do you think I am?" The gun never left the back of my head, even for a second. "Did you honestly think you could play me?"
"I-"
"Shut up!"
I screamed reflexively as he fired the gun at the wall, then whimpered when he aimed it at my head again. The trembles had become full-blown shudders now, and every step forward I took felt like trying to wade through glue. But I had to keep going; the next bullet he fired would be into me.
"Down the stairs," he demanded.
As I turned towards the stairs, I caught a flash of movement out the corner of my eye, and just managed to throw myself out of harm's way as a mass of blonde flung itself at Royce's back, pushing him down the stairs with so much force, his head hit the concrete floor with a loud smack.
The gun skidded across the ground, right into the path of my savior, who picked it up and aimed it at Royce's head.
"Rosalie, don't!" I cried, surprising even myself.
She looked at me incredulously, then turned back to face Royce.
"Rose, please!" I begged, moving closer with my hands out-stretched. "N-n-not here."
"Here's a good a place as any," she said coldly.
"No!" I protested, blocking her view of Royce with my body. "It'll make too m-m-much mess. They'll see."
"So?" She glared at me as she spoke, pure hatred rolling off her in waves.
"Rose, listen to me," I pleaded. "Please, just help me get him back to the suite. You can do it there."
Her expression softened. "Your cheek is bleeding."
I lifted my hand to my cheek and grimaced. "Please, Rose."
"Fine." She handed the gun to me, then bent down and grabbed Royce's feet. "You don't mind if I accidentally drop him on the way?"
"No," I replied in a shaky voice, moving to lift Royce by his wrists. It took a little work, but the two of us eventually managed to haul him back into the suite and dump him in the bathtub.
The moment I let go of him, everything became too much to cope with, and I ended up dry-retching over the sink as the shaking became unbearable.
"Call Edward," Rosalie instructed, walking over and taking the gun from my hands.
I shook my head. "I can't leave you alone with him. What if he wake-"
"He won't." Her tone left no room for doubt. I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate and think up a plan, but my head was spinning and my cheek felt like it was on fire, making it almost impossible. He hadn't killed me. I was okay.
"Bella!" Rose snapped, startling me into focus again by roughly handing me the phone. "Get out."
"I-"
"Get. Out."
I glanced at Royce's crumpled form one final time, then turned and ran out the room, scrambling to dial Edward's number. After three rings, he picked up.
"Bella? Bella, I'm almost there, baby. I'm almost-"
"Edward…"
"Sweetheart, I'm so fucking sorry. Please tell me you're okay. I'm almost at the top of the-"
The sound of a gunshot made my hand jerk so violently, the phone slipped from my hands as I instantly curled up in a ball. Shot after shot went off, my body jerking with each piercing sound, and then arms were around me, holding me so tightly it was almost painful. I reacted instinctually, throwing my arms out in self-defense, then whimpered when I heard Edward's voice.
"Bella, baby, it's me."
I flung my arms around his neck and held onto him as tightly as I could, uncontrolled sobs escaping my lips despite my best efforts to calm down.
"R-Rose," I managed to croak. "Is she-"
"I'm fine."
"What the hell happened?" Edward sounded horrified, but I couldn't bring myself to turn round far enough to see why.
"Royce," Rosalie replied simply. "But he's not a problem anymore."
"Bella?" I shook my head and buried my face further into his neck.
"I'm going to change," Rose announced. "You don't mind if I keep this?"
"No, uh… No." Edward's hand smoothed over my hair again and again as the other moved to my stomach. "You should, uh… You should keep it with you at all times."
"I'll be back," she promised, and I barely even had time to register the sound of the bedroom door shutting behind her before Edward was pushing me back and gazing worriedly into my eyes.
"Baby?"
"I'm fine," I replied, though we both knew I was lying. "He just, um… He surprised me and I… I thought that maybe if I tried…" I trailed off, shifting my gaze to the floor. "He tried to bring me to Aro, but Rose pushed him down the stairs so, uh… He's in the bathtub."
What's left of him, anyway.
"Bella…" he sighed, and as he gently pushed my hair back from my face, his fingers brushed against my cheek, making me hiss. "What-"
"It's fine," I lied, awkwardly standing up and turning away from him. "I need to just go and grab the-"
I heard Edward get to his feet behind me and had just started to walk towards the bathroom when he reached out and gripped my wrist to stop me.
"Turn around." It was a request, not a demand.
"Edward, I said-"
"Please?"
I couldn't deny him, not when he pleaded with me that way, so I slowly turned around and faced him, keeping my head dipped slightly so he couldn't see the full extent of the damage to my cheek. My efforts were wasted, however, for he gently reached out after a few seconds and pushed my hair back behind my ear. His intake of breath said it all.
"If he weren't already dead…" He trailed off, but I knew what he was about to say. He'd have killed Royce himself had Rosalie not done it first. But she was the one who deserved that closure the most – I knew that, if given the chance, I'd rather it be me that kill James instead of anyone else.
"I know it's bad, but I'm okay, Edward. I promise. We're both fine," I swore, lowering his hand to my stomach before leaning forwards and kissing him softly. "I'll be right back, okay? I need to get the key from the cabinet."
"I-"
"Being alone and in the bathroom was what caused this mess in the first place," I told him. "If you're out here, I'll know nobody else is."
He nodded reluctantly, and I hurried into the bathroom before he could change his mind. Even though I kept my gaze averted the entire time, it was clear Rosalie had done some serious damage; the metallic scent of blood invaded my nostrils, and I had to cover my nose and mouth as I reached for the key once I caught an accidental glimpse of Royce's corpse. One thing was for sure – Rosalie had good aim.
I couldn't have been gone for more than a minute, but by the time I walked back into the bedroom, Rosalie was standing beside Edward wearing an immaculate blue gown. It was hard to believe she'd shot a man dead mere minutes beforehand.
"Are we ready to go?" I asked softly. Edward nodded, then handed me my bag.
"I have one in my pocket, just in case," he assured me, smiling slightly. I smiled back at him, then squeezed his hand briefly as I walked towards a much calmer Rosalie.
"Here's some insurance for you," I told her, passing her the key.
"Would it be easier if you just kept it?"
"You've kept up your end of the deal," I pointed out. "This is just some extra proof that I'm going to keep up mine."
"I don't need-"
"I know," I murmured, smiling. She regarded me for a few seconds, then nodded.
"Okay, then," I sighed. "All set?"
"Yeah," Rosalie confirmed, and just as we stepped towards the door, Edward reached out and grabbed my hand.
"Wait!"
I turned to face him, then gasped as he kissed me so intensely, I felt it throughout my entire body. I flung my arms around his neck and held him just as tightly back, committing the moment to memory.
"I love you," he whispered, still keeping his eyes shut.
"I love you, too," I murmured back.
"To our dream house."
"To our dream house," I promised, holding on for just a few more seconds before pulling back and smiling. "Let's go."
The journey down to the restroom block beneath The Den went smoothly enough. Most people were already down in the main ballroom, and since we were heading in the opposite direction it wasn't exactly surprising that nobody was in the same shuttle as us. Even so, I was on edge. The bag that concealed what could possibly be the only things between us and death was clutched tightly under my arm, and I was beginning to feel sorry for Edward – I'd been gripping his hand like a lifeline ever since we walked out the door.
"Ready?" Edward murmured softly as the shuttle slowed to a stop. I nodded quickly, then leaned heavily into his side as we exited the shuttle. Rosalie placed what would appear to be a comforting hand on my shoulder to anyone who might happen to pass us – we were banking on using my pregnancy and morning sickness as an excuse if it came down to it.
Once we were sure the coast was clear, we calmly headed towards the doors leading to the maintenance shuttle, then startled at the sound of Jessica and Nettie's voices coming from one of the restrooms at the other end of the corridor. It was highly unlikely that they'd use the maintenance shuttle, but we couldn't afford to take that risk.
"Edward, you go ahead and hit the button," I whispered. He nodded, then rushed through the doors, leaving me and Rosalie to walk along at a torturously calm pace. As soon as we were clear of the corridor, we both rushed towards the shuttle and sighed with relief at the sight of Edward standing inside the empty carriage.
"Okay?" he asked, reaching forward and pressing the button for Didyme's sector.
"We're clear," I assured him, smiling briefly before opening my bag and handing him another Glock and a few spare magazines. "Rose?"
"I don't know how to reload it," she warned me. I shrugged.
"With any luck, you won't need to." I hesitated a moment. "Even so, Edward will cover you from behind and I'll go up front."
"No," Edward protested firmly, shaking his head as he knelt beside the emergency exit hatch. "We should stick together."
"Edward, come on!" I loaded the Glock I was holding and turned off the safety. "How else are we going to keep her safe?"
"If anyone needs protecting, it's you!" He sounded angry, but I knew it wasn't meant for me. "You've got someone else to worry about."
"Baby…" The worry was getting to both of us now, but I had to stay strong. Those walls were back up around me, and I could separate my needs from the mission. After all, somebody had to.
"You're pregnant." Rose's tone and expression said it all. She was going to side with Edward.
"Fine," I ceded. "Edward, you go up front, and I'll stick with Rosalie. Someone needs to check our coast is clear."
"But-"
"There are only three of us," I reminded him. "Together, we'll be sitting ducks. Someone needs to go up ahead."
After a few, tense seconds, he nodded his agreement.
"Good. It's settled then." I glanced up at the screen above the doors, then waited until we were at the right spot before pushing the emergency stop button at the bottom of the control panel.
The shuttle shuddered to a halt almost immediately and, with a little bit of prying, Edward managed to force the trapdoor to drop down. The gap between us and the floor below was a lot further than I'd expected, but he managed to maneuver his way down with ease.
After checking nobody else was down there, Edward held his arms up for the bag, then gestured for Rosalie to lower herself down too. She hesitated for a second, looking to me for reassurance.
"I'll help you," I promised, then laid down on the floor of the shuttle. "I'll hold your arms and lower you so you don't drop as far, okay?"
Rosalie swallowed nervously, but did as we instructed, and soon she had joined Edward in the tunnel. I looked around the shuttle one final time to check we hadn't missed anything, then carefully lowered myself through the hatch.
"Edward?" I called, suddenly fearful. If I fell, I could hurt the baby.
"I'm here," he swore. "Three… Two…"
I let myself drop, then sighed with relief as Edward caught me firmly in his arms.
"Alright?"
I nodded, lowering my legs so I was standing firmly on my own two feet again. "What time is it?"
"Three-thirty," he replied, glancing down at his watch.
"We're good for time," I noted, relieved. At least something was still going our way. "How far away are we?"
"Not too far, I don't think." He looked above us, then smiled. "We're at twenty-eight now – we need forty-two."
"And forty-two is…?" Rosalie wondered. Edward pointed behind her.
"That way."
She nodded in understanding, then looked to both of us for further instructions.
"Edward?" I prompted.
"If anything happens, you two just go, okay?" He seemed worried now, but I refused to let him fall at the final hurdle.
"Nothing's going to happen unless you don't get a move on," I chided, gesturing down the tunnel.
"Bella-"
"Go!" I hissed, then pushed him forwards. He broke into a jog, gun raised and ready, and after a few seconds, I gestured for Rosalie to start after him.
"Keep your eyes open, alright?" I told her as we picked up our pace. "If you see anything come at you from the side, shoot."
"Okay," she replied confidently. I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, then tried to tune her out as much as possible. My attention was divided – I needed to look and listen out for anything approaching us from behind as well as our side, but also steal the occasional glance at the ceiling to track our progress.
Things were going better than expected so far, but I knew these things had a way of biting you in the ass, and my bad feeling was getting stronger by the minute. We were missing something, I could tell.
We'd barely passed forty when I realized what it was, but before I had the chance to warn Edward, a harsh, shrieking siren pierced the air and my heart stopped cold.
"Fuck!" I pushed Rosalie in front of me and broke into a sprint, neither needing nor having time to explain.
"Edward?" I yelled over the siren as we approached tunnel forty-two, desperate to see if he was okay.
"I didn't even open it!" he shouted back as he urgently tried to force the door to open.
"Caius!" I pushed against the door with all my weight, desperate to get it to budge. "He knew Royce went in to see me!"
Edward's expression morphed into one of horror, and he redoubled his efforts. I looked around for something to help, then groaned when I spotted a panel on the wall with a slot to swipe a keycard.
"Rose, move!" Once she was out of harm's way, I fired a few rounds into the panel, then almost cried in relief when the door finally sprang open.
"Go!" I yelled to Rose as Edward bolted down the exit tunnel. As soon as we were clear of the doors, I slammed them shut and pulled up on the locking mechanism, but didn't have time to check if it had worked or not before I was running full pelt after Rose and Edward.
I almost lost sight of them ahead of me as we rounded a curve, then yelled out in warning as a figure in black emerged from one of the side entrances, but Edward had already seen him and shot him straight in the chest. The figure dropped to the floor, but I fired an extra shot at him as I passed just in case.
Rosalie was holding her own against Edward, even managing to spot another attacker seconds before I did. It would be easier to kill them if I could slow down and get a better aim, but I didn't have that luxury anymore – every second I didn't run at full speed was another second they had to catch up to us.
I had no idea how far we had left to run, but didn't care. Rational thought had disappeared for the most part – I was running on instinct and adrenaline, and all I knew was that I had to keep running and make sure Rosalie and Edward were safe.
I skidded round a sharp corner, firing a few shots down the tunnel I'd just entered for good measure, then cried out Edward's name when I spotted another panel-operated door blocking our path about ten meters up ahead.
"Rose, get to Edward!" I bellowed above the sirens, then shrieked in pain as someone barreled into my side from the entrance next to me, sending my gun flying from my hand. I punched and kicked wildly at my assailant, writhing beneath him until I finally managed to flip us over and quickly broke his neck.
My dress was torn, and I was vaguely aware that I was bleeding, but I scrambled to my feet anyway, barely pausing to snatch my gun from the floor as I passed it.
"DUCK!" Edward raised his gun and fired it over my head as I bent over to protect myself. The door was only a matter of feet away now, so I pushed forward with as much force as I could, only just managing to make it through in time before a shower of bullets embedded itself in the metal.
The three of us slammed and locked the door behind us, knowing that the few seconds it would cost us would cost them at least double that, then continued forwards. As we ran, I threw Edward an extra Glock and changed out my magazine for a new, extended one. We were so fucking close to the exit now – what had previously been metal flooring was now concrete, and the lighting was growing brighter by the second.
"Edward, how far?"
"One more door!" he yelled back. "Then it's the final staircase!"
Spurred on by the news and the adrenaline rush, we all somehow managed to speed up yet again, but we'd barely made it halfway there when a loud crash informed us they'd finally broken through.
"GO!" I screamed as loudly as I could. "EDWARD, GET ROSE BEHIND THE DOOR!"
I swiveled round to face the oncoming wave and pulled out the final Glock from my bag, firing as quickly as I could into as many people as possible. They'd only managed to pry the door open far enough to allow a couple of people in at a time; at least that gave me a chance. I slowly walked backwards as I fired, needing a steady aim for this, but the stream of people was relentless and I knew my magazines were close to empty. Edward and Rosalie's back-up would only last so long.
"BELLA, COME ON!"
"ROSE?" I shouted. I wouldn't run until I knew she was safe.
"SHE'S FINE! BABY, COME ON!"
I emptied what remained of the magazine in my first gun into the next unfortunate person to come through, then turned and sprinted towards the door as fast as I could. Edward was covering me to the best of his ability, but he wouldn't be able to hold the fort for long.
I was so fucking closer now; just a few more feet would do i-
"BELLA?"
My leg buckled beneath me as a searing, unbearable pain radiated through my thigh. My eyes bugged at the agony, and I could barely breathe; the shock was too much. I tried to push myself to my feet again, but my leg refused to respond and my good foot kept slipping in what I knew was a rapidly spreading pool of my own blood.
Everything seemed to be roaring in my ears, and I could barely see through the tears that were spilling from my eyes. God, please don't let me die.
"E-Edw-" I tried to shout, but my throat closed up, only allowing moans of pain through. Edward, run…
I reached down to try and force my leg into moving, but the moment my fingers brushed against my stomach, a new surge of determination filled me. I would not let my baby die. Not like this.
Using what little energy I had left, I half crawled, half pulled my way towards the door. I saw Edward rush to meet me, but barely had the time to scream at him to run before red began to blossom through his shirt, right over his shoulder.
"EDWARD!"
Somehow, he reached me within seconds, and together we somehow managed to make it that few extra feet to the door, narrowly missing another round of shots as we slammed it shut.
Once we were clear, I curled up in a ball, panting as I pressed my hands against my wound to try and stifle the blood flow. I heard Edward slam the lock into place, but knew it wouldn't buy us much time now.
"Bella-"
"Your shoulder," I groaned, then cried out in pain when he pressed his bloodied shirt against my leg.
"I'll be fine," he deflected. "Let me see your leg."
"We don't have time!" I protested, clamping my eyes shut as yet another wave of agony spread through me.
"Can you stand?" He sounded as desperate as I felt. I tried moving it, but it just made things worse.
"No."
The expression on his face broke my heart.
"Bella, I'll, uh…" Blinking back the tears for a few seconds, I gazed up into his eyes. "Let me carry-"
"I love you," I croaked, no longer able to stop the tears.
"I know, baby, I know." He tried to sound positive as he moved round to my side and slid his arm beneath me.
"Ready?" I nodded, but the moment he tried to lift me, I knew it wasn't going to work. No…
"Fuck," he hissed.
"Edward?" I managed to force out. I could do this. I had no other choice.
"It's okay, baby, don't-"
"Edward, listen to me," I begged, reaching for his hand and clenching it tightly. "I need you to do something for me."
His expression hardened. "I'm not lea-"
Tears spilled down my cheeks as I braced myself for what I was about to say.
"We can't do this by ourselves," I pointed out through clenched teeth. "We need help."
"H-How do-"
"I need you to go up there and tell them we need assistance, alright?" We both startled at the sound of something slamming against the door. We were running out of time. "Tell them we have a code black, okay?"
"Code bla-"
"Code black," I repeated firmly, then grimaced as more pain shot through me, both in my leg and heart this time. "Tell them that I'm sure."
"Sure of-"
"Baby, I can't hold on much longer," I said weakly. I only had so much strength left, and I was using it all to lie to him. "Please. Promise me."
"I promise," he replied, looking terrified.
"Kiss me?" I whispered. As his lips pressed desperately against mine, I couldn't stop myself from openly weeping. "I love you so fucking much."
"Baby, I love you, too." He was holding onto my hand so tightly, I knew the tears on my cheeks were no longer just my own.
"I'll see you soon, okay?" I lied.
"I-"
"Go!" I ground out, barely managing to hold in my next cry of pain. He hesitated, then leaned in to kiss me again, but I knew that I'd beg him not to go if he did, so I pushed him away. "Edward, go!"
He gazed into my eyes one final time, then sprinted up the staircase as fast as he could. My eyes never left his body, clinging on until the last possible second as I memorized everything about him while I still had the chance; I had no control over what happened to me anymore, but I could control what the last thing I saw before I died would be, and I wanted it to be him.
Once he was gone, I clamped my eyes shut as tightly as possible and wrapped my arms around my stomach, refusing to let myself cry. I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so, so sorry.
I heard more slamming, more shouting, but quickly tuned it out. I was at my happy place now, after all, and there were no guns at mine and Edward's dream house. There was only me, him, our beautiful baby and Jake in our dream house; no guns, no Volturi, no Agency… We could live our boring lives and go to our boring jobs and nothing would ever-
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