Twilight Fan Fiction / Twilight Fan Fiction / Twilight Fan Fiction ❯ Untitled: A Leah Clearwater Story ❯ Chapter 32 ( Chapter 32 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: JAG28 
Non Anime: Twilight Fan Fiction / Twilight Fan Fiction / Twilight Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.10.2013 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.6K | Visits: 2.5K | Status: Completed
Non Anime: Twilight Fan Fiction / Twilight Fan Fiction / Twilight Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.10.2013 | Pages: 3 | Words: 5.6K | Visits: 2.5K | Status: Completed
Chapter 32
“What’s wrong with my eyes?” I hopped out of the bed and looked in the mirror. “Oh my God!” My eyes had returned to their original eye color. I tried to convince myself that this meant nothing; maybe the effects of Nahuel’s venom had just run their course and exited my system. I did a body check trying to make sure there weren’t any other changes I should be aware of. “Creepy,” I joked trying to make light of the situation and calm Nahuel’s nerves but I knew he was going to go off.
“No, it’s more than creepy, it is scary, we need to get Carlisle to . . .”
“Carlisle doesn’t need to do anything!” I countered, “The venom in my system simply ran its course. This is nothing I feel fine.” Nahuel said nothing he just sat there and frowned at me. “Look I’m sorry, you are making mountain out of a mole hill,” his silence continued, “So you’re not going to say anything?” I folded my arms across my chest and huffed, no more appropriately I pouted, then whimpered, and then . . .
“Are you crying?” he asked in disbelief, he almost laughed.
“You’re the one being all immature . . . I can’t believe you were giving me the silent treatment over something so small.” Tears continued to flow. I continued to sob and he stared at me as if I had lost my mind.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He wiped the tears from my face, “I personally prefer your original eye color, I think it is beautiful.”
“Really?” I smiled and laid my head on his shoulder and got myself together, “it was stupid that I cried.” I laughed a little.
“Leah nothing you do is stupid . . . crazy or maybe random, but never stupid.” He pulled me into his lap and held me like a baby. “You know what would make both of us feel better?”
“And what would that be?” I smiled as seductively as possible, was a hard task considering that fact that I had just finished blubbering like baby.
“Yeah, that would be nice, but it wasn’t what I was thinking about.” He lifted me and carried me out of the room and down the hall; I knew exactly where we were going.
“Oh no! Nahuel I told you I did not want to see Carlisle!” I tried to wiggle out of his arms.
“That’s a shame Leah I always love seeing you.” Carlisle said as I was forcibly pushed into Carlisle’s office.
“I don’t mind seeing you either Carlisle . . . under different circumstances.” I murmured. I had the ridiculous notion to cry again. I didn’t understand why I was so emotional. Nothing that I had experienced was serious enough for these dramatics.
“What happened to your . . .” Carlisle started to speak, “Well I guess that’s why you’re here.” Carlisle examined my eyes briefly before asking Nahuel to leave.
“What’s wrong?” Carlisle frowned at me; I could tell if it was in anger or confusion.
“I need you to be very quiet and very still.” My eyes widened he placed his cold hand on my chest, he was freaking me out, what was he doing?
“Oh God Carlisle you’re not gonna kill me are you, that would really suck. . . I laughed but his face stayed solemn. “I thought it was funny.”
“Leah Please!” And I immediately shut up. We sat in silence for 5 to 10 minutes.
“Well that didn’t take long.” Carlisle moved back to his desk.
“So the venom wore off?” I followed him to his desk and sat in front of his desk. “That blows, I like some of the effects, like super speed and . . . well mainly the super speed.” I laughed, and he still wasn’t impressed.
“I really wouldn’t know about the venom in your system; I think I have given up on figuring out your system.” He said moving papers around frantically.
“What’s wrong Carlisle I never heard you sound so bitter?” A horrible feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.
“I’m not bitter Leah, I’m concerned . . . for your life.”
“Well, thanks for your concern, but it’s just the color of my eyes, my vision is just as good as it was yesterday.”
“It’s not about your vision, or even your eyes at all . . . your body seems to be making itself human enough so it can perform the task of . . .”
“The task of?” God he needed to spit it out already.
“I heard two heartbeats,” I wasn’t stupid I knew what this meant.
“Really?” I smiled; even with the imprint, I had still doubted it was possible. “This is amazing!” I touched my stomach gently as if it itself was . . . “a baby.”
“It’s dangerous, is what it is, there are too many unknowns, my recommendation is that you . . .”
“Don’t you even think about it! I will be having this baby!”
“Shouldn’t your husband have a say in your decision?” Carlisle countered. I knew he was right I was going to have to discuss it with Nahuel and his attitude was going to be less than positive.
“I will discuss it with him.” I went to get up and leave his office.
“Leah wait, I need you to understand why I think this is dangerous,” I sat back down, “Ren was born with teeth, if you have a boy there is a possibility that the child could carry venom. I don’t know when the teeth grow in the development process, I don’t even know if you are still considered a shape shifter now that you are pregnant, and there are just so many unknowns.” He said as he touched my stomach and his eyes widened, and then became saddened. “If the child you have contains venom and you’re still a shape shifter the combination could kill you.”
Great, as with everything in my life something that’s supposed to be good, turned into some distant and hard to grasp, “It will be okay.” I said slowly unsure if whether it was for Carlisle or my own benefit.
“I urge you to please talk with Nahuel about my concerns, and make a wise decision for all parties involved.
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I stepped out of Carlisle’s office and Nahuel was waiting for me as I expected he would be. “How long have you been standing?”
“The entire time.” He wouldn’t make eye contact with me. “Can I ask in all hopelessness that you get rid of it?”
“No, I’m sorry I can’t.” I braced myself of the pain that would come from disagreeing with him.
“I don’t have it in me to argue with you, not when just last night I was so close with you,” he still wouldn’t look at me. “Not right now.” He went to walk away from me.
“Nahuel you can’t run away from this, we need to talk.” I grabbed his arm holding on to it for dear life; part of me wondered if I was still strong enough to hold him in my . . . condition. How human was I?
“What is there to talk about? You’ve already decided.” He took my hand, even though he was frustrated he was very gentle with me. “Let’s go for a walk.” We went into the forest most of the time we walked silently; he was biding his time waiting for the right moment.
“It could kill you.” He finally spoke, “I could never love something that would take you away from me, and then the child would be without a mother and a father, because I could never tend to it.”
“What if this isn’t supposed to be a bad thing? What if me and the child both survive? I know you could love this baby as much if not more than you love me?
“I highly doubt that?”
“The way I figure it you won’t be able to help loving him or her, it’s going to be the best of both of us.” I sat down and held my stomach as if I was far enough along for it to matter. I guess it was just the knowing that something was growing inside of me that made me do it. I watched him as he paced back and for in front of me, after a while he sighed deeply and sat beside me.
“You’re bleeding” he said taking my hand that was still on the ground he flipped it over so he could see my palm. I hadn’t even realized the scratches on me; I guess I must have scratched myself when I went to sit down. We both watch as the scratched quickly vanished.
“At least we know you’re still durable.” He laughed, it was a good thing from what I heard of Bella’s pregnancy this could be a bone breaking experience for me.
“So are you gonna be okay with this.” I patted my stomach and he laughed.
“I plan to ignore it for as long as possible, and deal with it later.” He laughed a little and kissed me.
“That’s a great attitude for a father to be to have,” I said sarcastically.
“The reality is you are determined to do this and that there is a high probability that my time with you is coming to end . . . I would rather enjoy you now while I can, then suffer with the rest of it later.”
“Fine but I truly think everything is going to be okay.” I murmured it was sad hearing him talk about me as if I was already a memory.
“Thinking is not the same as knowing.”
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About Two Months Later . . .
I am big I am huge. Everyone in the house looks at me as if I’m about to pop. Maybe it is because I do look like I am about nine months. Emily my lovely cousin (insert sarcasm here) is actually jealous of all the attention I’ve been getting. She acts as if my pregnancy is overshadowing hers, and to her credit she may be right but it is only because these people are fearful that I may die giving birth or even before then. Carlisle is still unsure about the development stages of a child like mine. My possible death doesn’t seem to bother Emily at all; she barely speaks to me about my baby, which hurts considering the fact that I have been very mature about her and her baby. Now that I’m as big if not bigger than Emily, Ren and the other girls touch my stomach more than they do hers and they seem more excited about my baby. Like I said before she is so whacked out of her brain doesn’t realize that they only act this way because they’ve know me longer and know me better, but for the sake of being tired and wanting no conflict with Emily I tried to stay as cordial as possible.
“Hey how’s my little cuz doin’?” I said rubbing her stomach playfully as I walked into the kitchen, she narrowed her eyes at me at first then forced a smile across her face.
“Ready to come out I think . . . restless,” she laughed, “he’s been kicking all day.” I touched her stomach again and the baby kicked as if he knew I was expecting him to.
“Dang Em, seems like you gonna have quite the athlete.” I laughed, “Good thing you like watching sports because you pretty much be surrounded by them, if it is a boy.” I paused I remembered when Sam and I were close, how badly he said he wanted a boy to spoil and teach football and basketball things like that, hopefully it would be a boy for his sake.
“Has umm, your baby kicked yet?” Her asking surprised me; she usually tried to pretend as if my baby didn’t even exist.
“Uh, yeah but not frequently thank God,” I patted my steel trap like stomach, “the little bugger breaks bones when she kicks, good thing I heal quickly.” I had started saying that my child was a girl, but honestly I had no clue of the sex I just knew when I referred l it as a girl it made Nahuel’s breathing easier, if it is a girl there is a less likely hood that she will carry venom.
I went to look in the fridge for something to eat, something salty, likely, I have been craving a lot of salt, just yesterday I downed three bags of pretzels and didn’t think twice about it. As good, as they were it still did not quite quench the craving I had, nothing in the fridge seemed like it would work either, so I closed the door defeated. I settled for a bag of potato chips on the counter, at least they were salty. Em watched wild eyed as I ate. “What?”
“You know junk food is really bad for you and the baby!” She reprimanded and I rolled my eyes trying to ignore her know it all behavior.
“”Well this is no ordinary baby.” I went to walk out of the kitchen before she went on some health food rant, the girl could rant about anything.
“Trust me I know, everybody thinks you’re having some kind of miracle baby.” She smiled but I could tell she was really put off by it.
“Your baby is just as much a miracle as mine.” I patted her shoulder annoyed that all of our conversations ever since I reconciled with her, have ended with me consoling her about something that usually made me cringe. I was beginning wonder why I still talked to her. Seriously Ren was younger than her and I didn’t have to baby her half as much.
“Thanks Leah,” She hugged me and then her water works began.
“You’re welcome.” I pulled away from her and loss my balance momentarily, Nahuel caught me. Lately he seemed like he was always in the right place at the right time. He was getting so he was a lot better about the baby. I couldn’t tell if he was genuinely happy about it, but it was obvious that he was making an effort to try. He even read some of those stupid books “What to expect when you are expecting” and “Parenthood for Dummies”, the whole time he read through the book he kept one eyebrows raised I wanted to ask him want he was thinking but he seemed so focused that I didn’t want to bother him.
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“I have a surprise for you.” He started to walk me out of the kitchen, “you can come along too Emily if you wish.” Of course she did. He assisted us both upstairs, and to his room.
“Okay . . . I give up . . . what’s the surprise . . .” I said looking around thinking that I had missed something.
“This no longer my room, today we are going to transform it into your nursery.” He smiled a little and wrapped his arms around me. He seemed genuinely excited about what he was doing for me. I always thought the baby would just have a crib in our room, but a nursery was smart, we would be guaranteed some alone time that way.
“Awww look whose happy he’s gonna be a daddy!” I squeezed his cheek and we both laughed. He deserved my jokes for the past couple of weeks he taken to copying the way I walked. He said I looked like a penguin and then would put his hands at his sides and waddle back and forth.
“Right,” he rolled his eyes, “that’s exactly why I’m doing this . . . I won’t lie, I have warmed to the idea a little.” He said looking down at my stomach.
“Really, what brought on the change of attitude?”
“I’ve been spending time with your sister, while you take your million naps during the day. She seems to like me pretty well . . . plus, the fact that you’re still alive and seem to be healthy, it gives me some encouragement.”
“I told you everything would be fine.” I said refusing to lose the opportunity to tell him I told you so.
“You know I hate when you do that!” He smiled.
“No you don’t not really,” I laughed, trust me I would know if he really hated something I did, and I would never repeat the activity.
“Well don’t gloat yet . . . no one knows what the future will bring . . . I’m just more hopeful than before.” He was getting serious again and I wanted him to stay positive and playful.
“I do think it is a good idea though seriously.” I hugged him and as if on command the baby kicked me or better yet she attacked me. We all heard something break or snap inside of me. I dug my nails into his shoulders. I couldn’t look in his eyes and see the hurt anger not when I was already in so much pain. “God!” I screamed I went to drop to my knees but he lifted me and placed me on the bed. Emily stared at the both us petrified.
“Leah . . . is there anything I can do.” She stood behind Nahuel. She finally looked as if she had gotten the picture, this baby was hazardous.
“No the pain won’t last long.” I tried to assure them both. I looked up at Emily, “In about thirty minutes I will be good as new.” I tried to smile at her however I don’t know if I truly accomplished this task. I looked down at my stomach and saw the area were the bone now extruded, I hated when I could actually see the area damaged. Nahuel focused in on my face and held my hand for a moment. Then he placed his hand gently on the sides were the injury was located, he frowned momentarily.
“Well since you have been inconvenienced for about thirty minutes, you can look through these.” He said placing a bunch of baby furniture books on the bed, “Alice needs you to pick a theme.”
“A theme? Shouldn’t I just pick a unisex color and call it a day?” I didn’t think the baby would care one way or the other what pictures were on the walls.
“If that’s what you wish.” Nahuel went to remove the magazines and Emily stopped him. She touched his hand, and sight of that alone made my stomach sour, I had to look away.
“Leah, you have to pick a theme . . . the sights the baby take in will help encourage and stimulate brain activity.” Nahuel laughed at the serious tone of the Emily’s statement and she glared at him.
“Well I don’t know if my input matters . . .” Nahuel said.
“It really doesn’t,” Emily countered.
“Of course it does.” I said attempted to reposition myself. He of course he reached out to assist me.
“You mentioned a unisex color . . . as long as it isn’t yellow.” I busted out laughing. We had read this story called The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the lady was demented, the story was amazing but so left field.
“No I wouldn’t want our baby to go mad.” I laughed.
“Exactly because yellow is the color of madness you see.” He mimicked our teacher.
“Yeah it had nothing to do with the fact that the lady wasn’t allow to step outside her bedroom.” I laughed sarcastically.
“No,” he said,” In Mr. Cooper voice, “it has everything to do about the color.” We both laughed and Emily looked at us as though we were crazy.
“Well if it is solely based on the color then I can’t do that . . . what’s another unsexed color . . . green?” I said thoughtfully.
“No, boys wear green . . .” Rosalie said standing by the door frame, “it would be easier to just pick a theme.” She looked pitifully at me, I knew she had a little jealous of Emily and my situation but trust me she did not want the horrible feeling of being attacked from the inside.
“Help?” I said inviting her into my room; I didn’t want to leave her out of this experience. I know that with Bella’s pregnancy she was too busy protecting her that neither of them got to experience the fun things that are supposed to come with this sort of event.
“Sure.” Nahuel gave up his seat beside me and allowed Emily to sit down, and Rosalie sat on the opposite side of me. If felt like we had been through a million magazines. I didn’t think something like this would be so time consuming. When finally had the decision down to two choices puppy dog or teddy bear. Emily liked the puppy dog theme, and Rose and I preferred the teddy bears.
“Leah I would think you of all people would be able to appreciate the puppy theme!” She scoffed.
“Yeah I can appreciate that it is in the book and not in this room!” I will not have my child thinking that it some kind of animal and that he or she should just submit to that type mentality. If my child does carry on the ability to phase, I will make sure that she understands that the wolf is only a small part of who she is.
“Come on Leah it’s cute!” Emily continued to campaign for her choice, but seriously did not want to concede to her.
“It’s a little offensive,” Nahuel laughed but that was exactly how I felt, “funny but offensive.” He started moving the furniture out of the room; Emmett was now helping as well.
“Well if it is offensive to you, it should be offensive to me, and it is not . . . it’s just cute and a little clever.” Emily whined.
“Fine whatever Em.” I rolled my eyes I wasn’t disgusted with her I was disgusted with myself. Normally I would have held my foot down but this weird need I had to remedy what had went wrong with us had me stuck in an inconvenient situation.
“No!” Rose stopped Emily before she could hug me again, “Leah you have to like and be happy about this decision too, you will be spending a lot of time in this room.”
“I may be too . . . God only know when we will be going back home.” Emily sighed.
“Not soon enough,” Rose murmured under her breathe. Emmett laughed, and then lifted the full length mirror. I looked around the room and noticed that everything except the bed was gone.
“You guys do good work; you should go into the moving business.” I said and they both reentered the room.
“How do you feel?” Nahuel said disregarding my previous statement; he touched the area that was previously injured. I was back to normal it had been 40 minutes it was almost like clockwork.
“Good as new!” I patted his hands.
“Good because there’s one more item to move and you’re kind of sitting on it.” He scooped me up; Emmett helped Emily off of the bed.
I had been abandoned by the other two girls, Emily went to find Sam and Rose with Alice to buy things for the nursery. I couldn’t go with them because Carlisle didn’t want anyone to see me so . . . large, for lack of a better word. So while Nahuel and Emmett painted the walls, I sat on the floor drawing things that popped into my head. First, I drew a basic crib, then a rattle, then a teddy bear holding a block everything was peaceful until cream colored paint landed on my forehead, I looked up and my painters were looking all in my business.
“What the . . .” Emmett was standing over me laughing; Nahuel wiped the paint from my head.
“That’s really good you should paint it on the wall.” Nahuel looked at the drawing.
“That means the theme would mean that the theme would have to be bears wouldn’t it?” I was confused Emily and I still hadn’t reached a conclusion.
“Nahuel, didn’t you tell Alice to purchase the bear stuff?” Emmett smirked. I looked to Nahuel who shrugged innocently.
“Oops . . .” Nahuel laughed, he knew he had done it on purpose.
“Why’d you do that . . . you know I’m trying to be nicer to her!” I tried not to be amused.
“I think you are trying a little too hard.” When he looked down at me again a strand of his hair fell into his face, he looked delicious and for the first time during this pregnancy I was extremely turned on. “Leah . . . you still there.” He laughed.
“Huh, oh yeah I heard you I’m too nice” I tried for a second to get up on my own, and the two of them just watched me, “You know you could help!”
“Trust me I would wife, if I knew what on Earth you were trying to do?” They both looked seriously baffled.
“I thought she was trying to give birth or something.” Emmett said and they both laughed.
“I’m trying to get up!” I turned on my side and place my knee on the floor and Nahuel picked me up from behind, “I had figured it out now!” I grumbled.
“You said you needed help . . .” Nahuel laughed still holding me, “pregnant women and their crazy . . .”
“Don’t blame this on hormones!” I laughed.
“Okay I won’t!”
“Alright man . . . what’s next?” Emmett said he looked around they had finished painting now they had to wait for it to dry.
“We wait until Alice and Rose get back with the other decorations I suppose.” Nahuel said moving the dangling strand of hair behind his ear. That needing and wanting feeling came me again, I touched his cheek and he looked at me confused. “Hi”
“Hi” I said and took his hand, he hugged me to him and Emmett laughed, about something that I really didn’t care about at the moment. The past few hours and this day had been one of those days’ perfect days that I heard about from other people but had never experienced for myself.
After a while most of the Cullens gravitated to the nursery. Everyone gave their best to the room. Bella, Alice, and Rosalie unloaded the furniture and showed me all the toys and decorations they had purchased. Part of me wished I had been able to go with them, but Carlisle didn’t want anyone to see me pregnant, he wanted to preserve the image they were trying to uphold. My baby would be like Ren, just another child they adopted. Part of me didn’t want it to be that way, but Bella assured me that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. In all the ways that mattered I would me her mother. They had all begun calling my child my daughter I had even heard Carlisle and my own mother refer to the child as such. Alice went as far as to buy nothing but girls’ clothing for the baby.
“Well, what if the baby is a boy?” Bella said jokingly but the thought had been lingering in my mind too, but Nahuel didn’t want to hear it.
“It won’t be male . . .” he grumbled under his breath, “the simple fact that she is still alive lays proof to that.”
“Maybe the baby is just intuitive to what its mother can handle,” Bella counter, “besides it will be cool to have a little baby boy running around.” Nahuel listened to her talk but did not seem impressed by what she was saying.
“If by some miracle the child is male, then it will give me the opportunity to go shopping again.” Alice said adding a small amount of humor to a conversation that had the potential to turn ugly. “Have you thought of any names Leah?”
“Oh God a name, she’s gonna need one of those!” I laughed playing along; I hadn’t really been pressed to look for one. I figured that when I saw the baby for the first time the name would just come to me, like it was meant for her or something. I did have one name that kept bouncing around in my head. I just didn’t know if Nahuel was going to approve of its usage. “I do have one idea.”
“Well?” Alice said waiting for me to spit it out.
“I haven’t even told Nahuel yet, what makes you think I am ready to tell anyone?” I countered hoping to lay the conversation dead on the table.
“Because I want to know,” she said bluntly.
“I’m kind of curious myself Leah?” Nahuel said, and now everyone was listening.
“I have been thinking under the mindset that the baby is a girl.” With Nahuel that was the only mindset allowed.
“Which it is,” Nahuel smiled.
“Anyway,” I glared at him, “I was thinking of naming her Pire after Nahuel’s mother . . .”
“I love that idea Leah, thank you.” He kissed my forehead.
“Well just for kicks and giggles, lets say you have a boy,” Bella said and was a little annoyed by her blatant disregard to Nahuel’s feelings about the subject. “What would you name him?”
“In an alternate universe, where Nahuel would be happy about having a son . . . I would name him after Nahuel, but since we are dealing in hypotheticals . . . I would probably name him Noel or Nathaniel.” I always like the name Nathaniel so I would probably choose that one.
“Don’t choose Noel,” Nahuel said nicely joining accepting our conversation, “People here think that name is feminine . . . they think my name is feminine!” he laughed.
“Well then maybe Noel should be our daughter’s name?” He scrunched his nose up at my proposal, “or not.” I murmured.
“You could name her Nell it means sun light or sun ray,” he said thoughtfully, “it is a little more modern than Pire.”
“Nell Pire Cullen,” Emmett said rubbed my stomach, “Nice to meet you.”
Author’s Note: Hey everyone . . . this is a Mona Lisa chapter (because to me it’s not finished). I feel like there is something missing . . . So I may revamp at a later date, but this is where my gut told me to stop . . . I hope stopping here didn’t take away from this chapter full of filler! Next chapter is when the drama will pick back up. Thanks for reading and reviewing.
“What’s wrong with my eyes?” I hopped out of the bed and looked in the mirror. “Oh my God!” My eyes had returned to their original eye color. I tried to convince myself that this meant nothing; maybe the effects of Nahuel’s venom had just run their course and exited my system. I did a body check trying to make sure there weren’t any other changes I should be aware of. “Creepy,” I joked trying to make light of the situation and calm Nahuel’s nerves but I knew he was going to go off.
“No, it’s more than creepy, it is scary, we need to get Carlisle to . . .”
“Carlisle doesn’t need to do anything!” I countered, “The venom in my system simply ran its course. This is nothing I feel fine.” Nahuel said nothing he just sat there and frowned at me. “Look I’m sorry, you are making mountain out of a mole hill,” his silence continued, “So you’re not going to say anything?” I folded my arms across my chest and huffed, no more appropriately I pouted, then whimpered, and then . . .
“Are you crying?” he asked in disbelief, he almost laughed.
“You’re the one being all immature . . . I can’t believe you were giving me the silent treatment over something so small.” Tears continued to flow. I continued to sob and he stared at me as if I had lost my mind.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make you cry.” He wiped the tears from my face, “I personally prefer your original eye color, I think it is beautiful.”
“Really?” I smiled and laid my head on his shoulder and got myself together, “it was stupid that I cried.” I laughed a little.
“Leah nothing you do is stupid . . . crazy or maybe random, but never stupid.” He pulled me into his lap and held me like a baby. “You know what would make both of us feel better?”
“And what would that be?” I smiled as seductively as possible, was a hard task considering that fact that I had just finished blubbering like baby.
“Yeah, that would be nice, but it wasn’t what I was thinking about.” He lifted me and carried me out of the room and down the hall; I knew exactly where we were going.
“Oh no! Nahuel I told you I did not want to see Carlisle!” I tried to wiggle out of his arms.
“That’s a shame Leah I always love seeing you.” Carlisle said as I was forcibly pushed into Carlisle’s office.
“I don’t mind seeing you either Carlisle . . . under different circumstances.” I murmured. I had the ridiculous notion to cry again. I didn’t understand why I was so emotional. Nothing that I had experienced was serious enough for these dramatics.
“What happened to your . . .” Carlisle started to speak, “Well I guess that’s why you’re here.” Carlisle examined my eyes briefly before asking Nahuel to leave.
“What’s wrong?” Carlisle frowned at me; I could tell if it was in anger or confusion.
“I need you to be very quiet and very still.” My eyes widened he placed his cold hand on my chest, he was freaking me out, what was he doing?
“Oh God Carlisle you’re not gonna kill me are you, that would really suck. . . I laughed but his face stayed solemn. “I thought it was funny.”
“Leah Please!” And I immediately shut up. We sat in silence for 5 to 10 minutes.
“Well that didn’t take long.” Carlisle moved back to his desk.
“So the venom wore off?” I followed him to his desk and sat in front of his desk. “That blows, I like some of the effects, like super speed and . . . well mainly the super speed.” I laughed, and he still wasn’t impressed.
“I really wouldn’t know about the venom in your system; I think I have given up on figuring out your system.” He said moving papers around frantically.
“What’s wrong Carlisle I never heard you sound so bitter?” A horrible feeling settled in the pit of my stomach.
“I’m not bitter Leah, I’m concerned . . . for your life.”
“Well, thanks for your concern, but it’s just the color of my eyes, my vision is just as good as it was yesterday.”
“It’s not about your vision, or even your eyes at all . . . your body seems to be making itself human enough so it can perform the task of . . .”
“The task of?” God he needed to spit it out already.
“I heard two heartbeats,” I wasn’t stupid I knew what this meant.
“Really?” I smiled; even with the imprint, I had still doubted it was possible. “This is amazing!” I touched my stomach gently as if it itself was . . . “a baby.”
“It’s dangerous, is what it is, there are too many unknowns, my recommendation is that you . . .”
“Don’t you even think about it! I will be having this baby!”
“Shouldn’t your husband have a say in your decision?” Carlisle countered. I knew he was right I was going to have to discuss it with Nahuel and his attitude was going to be less than positive.
“I will discuss it with him.” I went to get up and leave his office.
“Leah wait, I need you to understand why I think this is dangerous,” I sat back down, “Ren was born with teeth, if you have a boy there is a possibility that the child could carry venom. I don’t know when the teeth grow in the development process, I don’t even know if you are still considered a shape shifter now that you are pregnant, and there are just so many unknowns.” He said as he touched my stomach and his eyes widened, and then became saddened. “If the child you have contains venom and you’re still a shape shifter the combination could kill you.”
Great, as with everything in my life something that’s supposed to be good, turned into some distant and hard to grasp, “It will be okay.” I said slowly unsure if whether it was for Carlisle or my own benefit.
“I urge you to please talk with Nahuel about my concerns, and make a wise decision for all parties involved.
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I stepped out of Carlisle’s office and Nahuel was waiting for me as I expected he would be. “How long have you been standing?”
“The entire time.” He wouldn’t make eye contact with me. “Can I ask in all hopelessness that you get rid of it?”
“No, I’m sorry I can’t.” I braced myself of the pain that would come from disagreeing with him.
“I don’t have it in me to argue with you, not when just last night I was so close with you,” he still wouldn’t look at me. “Not right now.” He went to walk away from me.
“Nahuel you can’t run away from this, we need to talk.” I grabbed his arm holding on to it for dear life; part of me wondered if I was still strong enough to hold him in my . . . condition. How human was I?
“What is there to talk about? You’ve already decided.” He took my hand, even though he was frustrated he was very gentle with me. “Let’s go for a walk.” We went into the forest most of the time we walked silently; he was biding his time waiting for the right moment.
“It could kill you.” He finally spoke, “I could never love something that would take you away from me, and then the child would be without a mother and a father, because I could never tend to it.”
“What if this isn’t supposed to be a bad thing? What if me and the child both survive? I know you could love this baby as much if not more than you love me?
“I highly doubt that?”
“The way I figure it you won’t be able to help loving him or her, it’s going to be the best of both of us.” I sat down and held my stomach as if I was far enough along for it to matter. I guess it was just the knowing that something was growing inside of me that made me do it. I watched him as he paced back and for in front of me, after a while he sighed deeply and sat beside me.
“You’re bleeding” he said taking my hand that was still on the ground he flipped it over so he could see my palm. I hadn’t even realized the scratches on me; I guess I must have scratched myself when I went to sit down. We both watch as the scratched quickly vanished.
“At least we know you’re still durable.” He laughed, it was a good thing from what I heard of Bella’s pregnancy this could be a bone breaking experience for me.
“So are you gonna be okay with this.” I patted my stomach and he laughed.
“I plan to ignore it for as long as possible, and deal with it later.” He laughed a little and kissed me.
“That’s a great attitude for a father to be to have,” I said sarcastically.
“The reality is you are determined to do this and that there is a high probability that my time with you is coming to end . . . I would rather enjoy you now while I can, then suffer with the rest of it later.”
“Fine but I truly think everything is going to be okay.” I murmured it was sad hearing him talk about me as if I was already a memory.
“Thinking is not the same as knowing.”
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About Two Months Later . . .
I am big I am huge. Everyone in the house looks at me as if I’m about to pop. Maybe it is because I do look like I am about nine months. Emily my lovely cousin (insert sarcasm here) is actually jealous of all the attention I’ve been getting. She acts as if my pregnancy is overshadowing hers, and to her credit she may be right but it is only because these people are fearful that I may die giving birth or even before then. Carlisle is still unsure about the development stages of a child like mine. My possible death doesn’t seem to bother Emily at all; she barely speaks to me about my baby, which hurts considering the fact that I have been very mature about her and her baby. Now that I’m as big if not bigger than Emily, Ren and the other girls touch my stomach more than they do hers and they seem more excited about my baby. Like I said before she is so whacked out of her brain doesn’t realize that they only act this way because they’ve know me longer and know me better, but for the sake of being tired and wanting no conflict with Emily I tried to stay as cordial as possible.
“Hey how’s my little cuz doin’?” I said rubbing her stomach playfully as I walked into the kitchen, she narrowed her eyes at me at first then forced a smile across her face.
“Ready to come out I think . . . restless,” she laughed, “he’s been kicking all day.” I touched her stomach again and the baby kicked as if he knew I was expecting him to.
“Dang Em, seems like you gonna have quite the athlete.” I laughed, “Good thing you like watching sports because you pretty much be surrounded by them, if it is a boy.” I paused I remembered when Sam and I were close, how badly he said he wanted a boy to spoil and teach football and basketball things like that, hopefully it would be a boy for his sake.
“Has umm, your baby kicked yet?” Her asking surprised me; she usually tried to pretend as if my baby didn’t even exist.
“Uh, yeah but not frequently thank God,” I patted my steel trap like stomach, “the little bugger breaks bones when she kicks, good thing I heal quickly.” I had started saying that my child was a girl, but honestly I had no clue of the sex I just knew when I referred l it as a girl it made Nahuel’s breathing easier, if it is a girl there is a less likely hood that she will carry venom.
I went to look in the fridge for something to eat, something salty, likely, I have been craving a lot of salt, just yesterday I downed three bags of pretzels and didn’t think twice about it. As good, as they were it still did not quite quench the craving I had, nothing in the fridge seemed like it would work either, so I closed the door defeated. I settled for a bag of potato chips on the counter, at least they were salty. Em watched wild eyed as I ate. “What?”
“You know junk food is really bad for you and the baby!” She reprimanded and I rolled my eyes trying to ignore her know it all behavior.
“”Well this is no ordinary baby.” I went to walk out of the kitchen before she went on some health food rant, the girl could rant about anything.
“Trust me I know, everybody thinks you’re having some kind of miracle baby.” She smiled but I could tell she was really put off by it.
“Your baby is just as much a miracle as mine.” I patted her shoulder annoyed that all of our conversations ever since I reconciled with her, have ended with me consoling her about something that usually made me cringe. I was beginning wonder why I still talked to her. Seriously Ren was younger than her and I didn’t have to baby her half as much.
“Thanks Leah,” She hugged me and then her water works began.
“You’re welcome.” I pulled away from her and loss my balance momentarily, Nahuel caught me. Lately he seemed like he was always in the right place at the right time. He was getting so he was a lot better about the baby. I couldn’t tell if he was genuinely happy about it, but it was obvious that he was making an effort to try. He even read some of those stupid books “What to expect when you are expecting” and “Parenthood for Dummies”, the whole time he read through the book he kept one eyebrows raised I wanted to ask him want he was thinking but he seemed so focused that I didn’t want to bother him.
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“I have a surprise for you.” He started to walk me out of the kitchen, “you can come along too Emily if you wish.” Of course she did. He assisted us both upstairs, and to his room.
“Okay . . . I give up . . . what’s the surprise . . .” I said looking around thinking that I had missed something.
“This no longer my room, today we are going to transform it into your nursery.” He smiled a little and wrapped his arms around me. He seemed genuinely excited about what he was doing for me. I always thought the baby would just have a crib in our room, but a nursery was smart, we would be guaranteed some alone time that way.
“Awww look whose happy he’s gonna be a daddy!” I squeezed his cheek and we both laughed. He deserved my jokes for the past couple of weeks he taken to copying the way I walked. He said I looked like a penguin and then would put his hands at his sides and waddle back and forth.
“Right,” he rolled his eyes, “that’s exactly why I’m doing this . . . I won’t lie, I have warmed to the idea a little.” He said looking down at my stomach.
“Really, what brought on the change of attitude?”
“I’ve been spending time with your sister, while you take your million naps during the day. She seems to like me pretty well . . . plus, the fact that you’re still alive and seem to be healthy, it gives me some encouragement.”
“I told you everything would be fine.” I said refusing to lose the opportunity to tell him I told you so.
“You know I hate when you do that!” He smiled.
“No you don’t not really,” I laughed, trust me I would know if he really hated something I did, and I would never repeat the activity.
“Well don’t gloat yet . . . no one knows what the future will bring . . . I’m just more hopeful than before.” He was getting serious again and I wanted him to stay positive and playful.
“I do think it is a good idea though seriously.” I hugged him and as if on command the baby kicked me or better yet she attacked me. We all heard something break or snap inside of me. I dug my nails into his shoulders. I couldn’t look in his eyes and see the hurt anger not when I was already in so much pain. “God!” I screamed I went to drop to my knees but he lifted me and placed me on the bed. Emily stared at the both us petrified.
“Leah . . . is there anything I can do.” She stood behind Nahuel. She finally looked as if she had gotten the picture, this baby was hazardous.
“No the pain won’t last long.” I tried to assure them both. I looked up at Emily, “In about thirty minutes I will be good as new.” I tried to smile at her however I don’t know if I truly accomplished this task. I looked down at my stomach and saw the area were the bone now extruded, I hated when I could actually see the area damaged. Nahuel focused in on my face and held my hand for a moment. Then he placed his hand gently on the sides were the injury was located, he frowned momentarily.
“Well since you have been inconvenienced for about thirty minutes, you can look through these.” He said placing a bunch of baby furniture books on the bed, “Alice needs you to pick a theme.”
“A theme? Shouldn’t I just pick a unisex color and call it a day?” I didn’t think the baby would care one way or the other what pictures were on the walls.
“If that’s what you wish.” Nahuel went to remove the magazines and Emily stopped him. She touched his hand, and sight of that alone made my stomach sour, I had to look away.
“Leah, you have to pick a theme . . . the sights the baby take in will help encourage and stimulate brain activity.” Nahuel laughed at the serious tone of the Emily’s statement and she glared at him.
“Well I don’t know if my input matters . . .” Nahuel said.
“It really doesn’t,” Emily countered.
“Of course it does.” I said attempted to reposition myself. He of course he reached out to assist me.
“You mentioned a unisex color . . . as long as it isn’t yellow.” I busted out laughing. We had read this story called The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the lady was demented, the story was amazing but so left field.
“No I wouldn’t want our baby to go mad.” I laughed.
“Exactly because yellow is the color of madness you see.” He mimicked our teacher.
“Yeah it had nothing to do with the fact that the lady wasn’t allow to step outside her bedroom.” I laughed sarcastically.
“No,” he said,” In Mr. Cooper voice, “it has everything to do about the color.” We both laughed and Emily looked at us as though we were crazy.
“Well if it is solely based on the color then I can’t do that . . . what’s another unsexed color . . . green?” I said thoughtfully.
“No, boys wear green . . .” Rosalie said standing by the door frame, “it would be easier to just pick a theme.” She looked pitifully at me, I knew she had a little jealous of Emily and my situation but trust me she did not want the horrible feeling of being attacked from the inside.
“Help?” I said inviting her into my room; I didn’t want to leave her out of this experience. I know that with Bella’s pregnancy she was too busy protecting her that neither of them got to experience the fun things that are supposed to come with this sort of event.
“Sure.” Nahuel gave up his seat beside me and allowed Emily to sit down, and Rosalie sat on the opposite side of me. If felt like we had been through a million magazines. I didn’t think something like this would be so time consuming. When finally had the decision down to two choices puppy dog or teddy bear. Emily liked the puppy dog theme, and Rose and I preferred the teddy bears.
“Leah I would think you of all people would be able to appreciate the puppy theme!” She scoffed.
“Yeah I can appreciate that it is in the book and not in this room!” I will not have my child thinking that it some kind of animal and that he or she should just submit to that type mentality. If my child does carry on the ability to phase, I will make sure that she understands that the wolf is only a small part of who she is.
“Come on Leah it’s cute!” Emily continued to campaign for her choice, but seriously did not want to concede to her.
“It’s a little offensive,” Nahuel laughed but that was exactly how I felt, “funny but offensive.” He started moving the furniture out of the room; Emmett was now helping as well.
“Well if it is offensive to you, it should be offensive to me, and it is not . . . it’s just cute and a little clever.” Emily whined.
“Fine whatever Em.” I rolled my eyes I wasn’t disgusted with her I was disgusted with myself. Normally I would have held my foot down but this weird need I had to remedy what had went wrong with us had me stuck in an inconvenient situation.
“No!” Rose stopped Emily before she could hug me again, “Leah you have to like and be happy about this decision too, you will be spending a lot of time in this room.”
“I may be too . . . God only know when we will be going back home.” Emily sighed.
“Not soon enough,” Rose murmured under her breathe. Emmett laughed, and then lifted the full length mirror. I looked around the room and noticed that everything except the bed was gone.
“You guys do good work; you should go into the moving business.” I said and they both reentered the room.
“How do you feel?” Nahuel said disregarding my previous statement; he touched the area that was previously injured. I was back to normal it had been 40 minutes it was almost like clockwork.
“Good as new!” I patted his hands.
“Good because there’s one more item to move and you’re kind of sitting on it.” He scooped me up; Emmett helped Emily off of the bed.
I had been abandoned by the other two girls, Emily went to find Sam and Rose with Alice to buy things for the nursery. I couldn’t go with them because Carlisle didn’t want anyone to see me so . . . large, for lack of a better word. So while Nahuel and Emmett painted the walls, I sat on the floor drawing things that popped into my head. First, I drew a basic crib, then a rattle, then a teddy bear holding a block everything was peaceful until cream colored paint landed on my forehead, I looked up and my painters were looking all in my business.
“What the . . .” Emmett was standing over me laughing; Nahuel wiped the paint from my head.
“That’s really good you should paint it on the wall.” Nahuel looked at the drawing.
“That means the theme would mean that the theme would have to be bears wouldn’t it?” I was confused Emily and I still hadn’t reached a conclusion.
“Nahuel, didn’t you tell Alice to purchase the bear stuff?” Emmett smirked. I looked to Nahuel who shrugged innocently.
“Oops . . .” Nahuel laughed, he knew he had done it on purpose.
“Why’d you do that . . . you know I’m trying to be nicer to her!” I tried not to be amused.
“I think you are trying a little too hard.” When he looked down at me again a strand of his hair fell into his face, he looked delicious and for the first time during this pregnancy I was extremely turned on. “Leah . . . you still there.” He laughed.
“Huh, oh yeah I heard you I’m too nice” I tried for a second to get up on my own, and the two of them just watched me, “You know you could help!”
“Trust me I would wife, if I knew what on Earth you were trying to do?” They both looked seriously baffled.
“I thought she was trying to give birth or something.” Emmett said and they both laughed.
“I’m trying to get up!” I turned on my side and place my knee on the floor and Nahuel picked me up from behind, “I had figured it out now!” I grumbled.
“You said you needed help . . .” Nahuel laughed still holding me, “pregnant women and their crazy . . .”
“Don’t blame this on hormones!” I laughed.
“Okay I won’t!”
“Alright man . . . what’s next?” Emmett said he looked around they had finished painting now they had to wait for it to dry.
“We wait until Alice and Rose get back with the other decorations I suppose.” Nahuel said moving the dangling strand of hair behind his ear. That needing and wanting feeling came me again, I touched his cheek and he looked at me confused. “Hi”
“Hi” I said and took his hand, he hugged me to him and Emmett laughed, about something that I really didn’t care about at the moment. The past few hours and this day had been one of those days’ perfect days that I heard about from other people but had never experienced for myself.
After a while most of the Cullens gravitated to the nursery. Everyone gave their best to the room. Bella, Alice, and Rosalie unloaded the furniture and showed me all the toys and decorations they had purchased. Part of me wished I had been able to go with them, but Carlisle didn’t want anyone to see me pregnant, he wanted to preserve the image they were trying to uphold. My baby would be like Ren, just another child they adopted. Part of me didn’t want it to be that way, but Bella assured me that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. In all the ways that mattered I would me her mother. They had all begun calling my child my daughter I had even heard Carlisle and my own mother refer to the child as such. Alice went as far as to buy nothing but girls’ clothing for the baby.
“Well, what if the baby is a boy?” Bella said jokingly but the thought had been lingering in my mind too, but Nahuel didn’t want to hear it.
“It won’t be male . . .” he grumbled under his breath, “the simple fact that she is still alive lays proof to that.”
“Maybe the baby is just intuitive to what its mother can handle,” Bella counter, “besides it will be cool to have a little baby boy running around.” Nahuel listened to her talk but did not seem impressed by what she was saying.
“If by some miracle the child is male, then it will give me the opportunity to go shopping again.” Alice said adding a small amount of humor to a conversation that had the potential to turn ugly. “Have you thought of any names Leah?”
“Oh God a name, she’s gonna need one of those!” I laughed playing along; I hadn’t really been pressed to look for one. I figured that when I saw the baby for the first time the name would just come to me, like it was meant for her or something. I did have one name that kept bouncing around in my head. I just didn’t know if Nahuel was going to approve of its usage. “I do have one idea.”
“Well?” Alice said waiting for me to spit it out.
“I haven’t even told Nahuel yet, what makes you think I am ready to tell anyone?” I countered hoping to lay the conversation dead on the table.
“Because I want to know,” she said bluntly.
“I’m kind of curious myself Leah?” Nahuel said, and now everyone was listening.
“I have been thinking under the mindset that the baby is a girl.” With Nahuel that was the only mindset allowed.
“Which it is,” Nahuel smiled.
“Anyway,” I glared at him, “I was thinking of naming her Pire after Nahuel’s mother . . .”
“I love that idea Leah, thank you.” He kissed my forehead.
“Well just for kicks and giggles, lets say you have a boy,” Bella said and was a little annoyed by her blatant disregard to Nahuel’s feelings about the subject. “What would you name him?”
“In an alternate universe, where Nahuel would be happy about having a son . . . I would name him after Nahuel, but since we are dealing in hypotheticals . . . I would probably name him Noel or Nathaniel.” I always like the name Nathaniel so I would probably choose that one.
“Don’t choose Noel,” Nahuel said nicely joining accepting our conversation, “People here think that name is feminine . . . they think my name is feminine!” he laughed.
“Well then maybe Noel should be our daughter’s name?” He scrunched his nose up at my proposal, “or not.” I murmured.
“You could name her Nell it means sun light or sun ray,” he said thoughtfully, “it is a little more modern than Pire.”
“Nell Pire Cullen,” Emmett said rubbed my stomach, “Nice to meet you.”
Author’s Note: Hey everyone . . . this is a Mona Lisa chapter (because to me it’s not finished). I feel like there is something missing . . . So I may revamp at a later date, but this is where my gut told me to stop . . . I hope stopping here didn’t take away from this chapter full of filler! Next chapter is when the drama will pick back up. Thanks for reading and reviewing.