Scars

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Chapter 29

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EPOV(Edward)

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Rose-25, Emmett-26, Bella-26, Edward-31, Alice-29, Jasper-25,Carlisle-49, Esme-40, Andrew-16

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Saturday, August 22nd, 2015

Shelly Cope, a nice nurse follows us in and checks her over once Bella collapses onto a bed. ''I hear we have a special case-how are you doing?''

''I'm fine.'' She gasps out. ''Just about to give birth.''

''I see that,'' She checks on how she's doing. ''Nearly nine centimeters. How about we get you out of these dirty clothes quickly while we wait for the doctor?''

She brings out a hospital gown and makes sure we're good to change before she sets off to get a doctor. Bella can barely walk so she just leans against the bed while I take off her dress and put on the hospital gown. ''Your arm.'' I finally notice the hand shaped bruise there-and on her face, like a hand had cupped her face. ''He did that?''

''Can't we talk later?'' She grimaces when she lies back on the bed. ''There's a lot he told me.''

''Just tell me this now, you said he didn't hurt you.''

''He didn't, I have two bruises and my wrists sting but I'm fine.''

Her wrists were red and bloody, though a lot of the blood was dried in. ''Why did he grab you so hard?''

''More like when.'' She grimaces again, looking down. ''While kissing me.''

''He kissed you?''

She looks to me, eyes welling. ''I'm sorry-ah.'' She grabbed onto the hospital bed to help with the pain and after a minute of my shocked silence I take her hand from the mattress and hold it. The doctor and nurse come in a minute later and get prepared. When she has her next contraction she's told to get ready to push and I know I have to push back all hatred for Jacob Black for now as she looks at me with fear and I hold her hand tighter and wrap my other arm around her shoulders. When she's told to push she throws her head back with the pain and looks at me-I smile encouragingly which seems to be what she's looking for because then she clamps her eyes shut, tenses her whole body and pushes.

It's silent a moment after the nurse say's it's definitely a boy-and then a piercing cry encases the whole room and Bella bursts into tears when the nurse puts a bloody wriggling mess on her chest and takes him away to get cleaned. ''Where's she going with him?'' She strains to see around me.

''I can see him, it's okay.''

''Sorry, our last doctor just tried to kidnap our child, I can't bee too careful.''

''Get ready to push again.''

Bella rolls her eyes. ''Fucking twins.''

It was easier to get the second one out-as Bella said-and once he was he was shown to us again before being taken off to get weighed, measured and cleaned up. Bella kept looking at them anxiously, I knew why, but I trusted the nurse, and not like I ever trusted Victoria-she was always off.

''Well it's not over yet.'' Bella grumbles, covering her eyes with her hands. ''I'm so tired. I want the babies.''

''Just a minute.'' I promise-by her comment of not over yet I assume she means the things that come out after birth-I don't know what it is and I don't look while it...passes? I don't know-but all thought of that disappear when Shelly Cope walks over with the babies, she has them wrapped up in white blankets and hands one to Bella and one to me. She leaves us alone once she says how much they weigh and measured and Bella stares down at the one in her arms-transfixed. After a minute she moves over on the bed and pats the space beside her for me, I sit down and hold the baby in my arms out beside the other.

''We better buy them a wrist band or something, I'm going to mix them up.''

She laughs. ''Me too, I mean I'm sorry but right now they look the same.'' She wipes away her tears. ''They're so small.''

They are minuscule-it's hard to believe they're people. It seems that she cries more and more with each noise or movement they make. ''Look at him.'' her finger traces over his face, blotchy red and flushed, fat little cheeks. ''They're adorable. Switch.''

The swap was hard and awkward, but in the end she bent both her knees up for me to put one-which I still held when she placed hers in my other arm. ''I can't believe it.''

''Me either.'' She looks up at me, tears still making their way down her face. ''I love you.''

''Love you too, thank you.''

''Well,'' she looked down to the child in her arms. ''I deserve a thanks because it hurt like hell, it did.'' She now has one finger out stroking the little hairs on his head. ''We need to wash them properly, they still have disgusting stuff on them.''

''Hey it all came from you.''

She looks to me half squinting with her eyebrow raised and a sour look on her face. ''That doesn't mean it's not disturbing, at least your body's not going to be messed up for weeks either.''

''Not for weeks-''

''Yes, for weeks, I'll be all.'' She shuddered. ''Anyway, you're lucky you're cute.''

''The baby?''

She snorts. ''Not you anyway.''

''Oh laughable, we have to name them before Emmett names them thing one and two.''

''He would, wouldn't he? Damn, did you pick your name?''

''I'm not a hundred percent-I was trying to pick a name to go with Charlie-you?''

''I was thinking of Chris-but I'm not decided yet, I have options, did you think of a middle name yet?''

''Phil.'' I say quietly. ''If the other's Charlie, I thought it fitting.''

''Oh my god-really?''

''Yes, it makes sense and I know how important he was to you too.''

''Chris Phil Cullen-could work. This is so much pressure, what if they hate it?'' Her eyes look at me and I know she's really thinking of the Phil thing.

''I never did forgive dad for naming me Edward.'' I grin. ''I like that though, which one?''

We look at both of them and start to laugh-since it doesn't really matter. ''That one.'' She gestures to the one I'm holding. ''Now you think of this one and we'll try remember that one is Chris. Okay.'' She stares at him a long moment.

''But what if he hates his name?'' She repeats.

''I hate mine, it's not that bad, he won't care.''

She made a reluctant noise. ''Sure.'' Then her whole features changed as the blood drained from her face. ''Edward?''

''Yeah?''

''Andrew-Oh my god Andrew, Edward.'' Her breathing became faster. ''Jacob hit him on the head and-is he really blind?''

''Yeah,'' I say slowly. ''I've been told there's a twenty percent chance they can fix it.''

''Oh my God I'm so sorry.'' She cried out. ''I-I-''

''It's not your fault.'' I say instantly. ''Bella he only blames Jacob I swear.''

''Well I blame me,'' She sniffles. ''I brought him into his life and now-now-'' she cuts herself off.

''Bella-''

''Don't try convince me otherwise Edward.''

''Don't even try to feel guilty until his operation, okay?''

She looks up at me and frowns. ''Okay.''

If she had wanted to say more she couldn't-as the party arrived then. Esme, Carlisle, Rose, Emmett, Alice, Jasper and Andrew being wheeled in by Seth. Esme walks around to Bella with her hands cupped up in front of her mouth, she doesn't have to ask before Bella starts to hand her the baby. I give what I'm pretty sure is Chris to Alice and we watch as they're passed around and I see Bella staring at Andrew-who's looking to a wall but clearly unseeing-it hurts to see, I should have been there, then again they did wait for me to leave to attack-which is why I shouldn't have left.

I try to distract her. ''Do you remember which one's which?''

''Eh, Jasper has Chris and Rose has the unnamed-I think, we should have marked them. I'm too tired to notice the differences.''

''I think Chris has a bigger nose and less hair-and the other one is not Chris? Not sure.''

''The other one, nice naming skills.'' She takes my hand and leans her head on my arm. ''I'm so tired.''

I make eye contact with Carlisle-who's holding one of the babies and he knows what I mean, he somehow lures everyone into the opposite corner of the room. ''Did you get much sleep there?''

She shakes her head, her non verbal response tells me now's not the right time to talk about it and I agree-we should be alone for that. ''How are you, Andrew?''

He turns to her, though I see Bella's whole face flatter when he's looking more closely at a wall then in our direction. ''I'm okay, but I haven't been kidnapped for days.''

''I'm so sorry Andrew.''

He shrugs. ''Not your fault, nothing anyone can do.''

''Do you want to hold one?'' I ask-looking to Emmett who was now holding one.

''Not yet-I'd rather see them while I hold them or at least know theirs no possibility I ever will.''

''I'm sure you will.'' I say. ''The chances-''

''Are shit dad,'' he sighs. ''it's okay.''

''They're tiny.'' Bella glances over. ''very dark hair and blue eyes.''

''Also wrinkly.'' Emmett adds in. ''are they meant to be wrinkly?''

''Yes Emmett give me back Chris.'' Bella glares-obviously not pleased at his assessment.

''Bella that one's Chris, Emmett has the other one.''

''The wrinkly one.''

''It's Chris for now,'' Bella still glares. ''give me my baby.''

Emmett grumbles but complies, handing him over. I didn't want to say anything-but he did have wrinkles, Emmett know's I know too and he glares but smiles at me. Seth is very awkwardly holding Chris-or the other one-when a nurse comes in and asks people to clear out so Bella and the babies could rest. She also says that due to the circumstances we don't have to leave and that Bella should rest because the police had to interview her later. Bella's face pales and the nurse checks the three over, saying everything was fine.

''How do you feel?''

She was lying back against her pillows, eyes closed. ''All of my muscles ache, I want a bath.''

''We'll be home soon.''

''I hope.'' She yawns. ''I'm sorry I'm so tired.''

''Don't be sorry.'' I laugh. ''You need to rest I just-we need to talk about it.''

Her eyes pop open slightly. ''I want to tell you before I tell the police.'' She moves over more and grimaces.

''You in pain?''

''It's just uncomfortable, I'll be fine.'' Though her face is still set in a grimace. ''He had a key.''

''Jacob had a key? To our house?''

''Yes-I thought you had forgotten something but when I looked it was James in a mask, I didn't even see Jacob at first. I-first you have to promise not to kill anyone?''

I do and she says the rest fast-knowing I was now more worried then ever. ''James covered my mouth and put a knife to my neck so the boys wouldn't move and they didn't-Jacob knocked Andrew out faster then I could have moved, he handcuffed Seth and then me. We were in the car and he stopped for gas and brought us to that-place.'' She shuddered. ''He handcuffed us to the bed and every hour or so he'd let me use the bathroom-there was a window but Seth wasn't small enough to squeeze through and clearly neither was I. He would let Seth eat with only one hand tied back but he fed me.'' She grimaced and gagged. ''I hate him-he was so, so insane.''

I move closer to her-seeing her lip tremble. I can't get as close as I'd like, not wanting to hurt her, but I was close enough for her to put her head on my chest. ''What did he say?''

''He kept saying the babies were his-ours. He was speaking as if he had actually gotten me pregnant. The thing I realized was that when he and I broke up three of the most prominent things he remembered about me was how pissed I was that he was married, how devastated I was with loosing the baby and how much I wanted Seth.'' She breathes out steady. ''He said he got me pregnant-even if he didn't personally. He now didn't have a wife and he killed Leah so I would get Seth-in his eyes I had the three things I wanted back then-I, fuck I don't know what he was thinking.'' She grabs onto my top which dries her tears. ''He, Victoria and James, I can't not call him James, wanted children, they always had but they couldn't have them. James stalked me, helped get Jacob out of prison and Victoria fed them personal information and as a reward he was going to give them one of the babies.''

My arms increase in pressure around her and it takes a lot-a lot- for me to just bite my tongue and let her continue. ''He said it was good they were twins because he was going to just get me pregnant again with a baby for them-but he said now the next baby could be ours. He had my face while he told me it all and then he kept kissing me and I couldn't move, I tried but I didn't kiss him back.'' She assures.

''It's okay.'' I try to soothe her, my hands running through her hair. ''He did it all, not you.''

''I was afraid he-I thought he might...hurt me. But then my waters broke and he got so happy and called Victoria, you arrived about half an hour later or more.''

''You're okay now, I'm not leaving you again.'' I promise. ''I won't.''

''Thank you.''

''For?'' I wonder-if anything she should be angrier.

''I don't know,'' She clings to me tighter. ''Edward I don't-I can't, I can't do it.''

''What can't you do?''

''Get him out of my mind.'' She nearly growls. ''He's been everywhere I looked and he's there when I close my eyes since we left that fucking place and it's driving me insane.''

''They're not going to let him get out again, he won't ever touch you or any of the children.''

I felt everything in me resolving and breaking and shattering when she looked up at me-her eyes glassy and more venerable then I've ever seen them. ''You should try sleep, you need to.''

Tiredness was half the problem and we had to tackle that one before we started the others and I think she knew that-since she nodded and pulled back a bit to get more comfortable. ''I should sleep a little bit.''

''And I won't leave.'' I promise-she smiles at me but her eyes have fallen closed before she can respond.

I wipe the tears from her face and fully realize what a long journey we had ahead of us-but I knew we could handle it, I hoped.

There you have it! Victoria's still out there but the babies are here and safe, we don't know about Andrew's eyes yet but we will soon! Are people still reading this? I'm sorry for my lack of updates but the next chapter is under construction as we speak and should be done very soon! The story's nearly over so the wait's not for too much longer! Please review, Thank you! ;)xxx

-BATTM