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THERE WAS NOTHING WORSE THAN WATCHING SOMEONE YOU LOVED DIE. Rory was no stranger to the feeling, she had experienced it more times than ever expected and each time, it was painful. But maybe now that Rory had some real power, things would be in her favor rather than her misfortune.
While it was risky, the thought of a hybrid baby struck an old, painful chord with Rory and Jasper. There was no question on whether to return or stay away. The Volturi wasn't going to find her anytime soon and Bella's pregnancy was advancing at unprecedented speed. By the time the Volturi figured out Rory returned to Forks, Bella's baby would be born. And Rory was going to do whatever it took to bring that baby in the world—she owed it to herself, Bella, and her own miscarried child who never had a chance.
Tensions were higher than ever with Jasper and Rory's return to Forks. Of course, everyone was happy they came back, but the family was divided over the matter of Bella's baby. Rory and Rosalie had struck up a united front for once, despite their differences in the past, they both wanted the baby to live. Jasper and Emmett took their mates side. Edward was against the infant who he only saw as taking Bella away from him. Carlisle, Esme, and Alice were ambivalent on the situation, more so concerned with Bella's deterioration in health.
Pregnancy was never easy, but in Bella's case, it was a horror show.
Bella was growing weaker the more the baby inside her grew stronger. The baby kicked so hard that it broke bones and bruised Bella blue and purple. She vomited everything she tried to eat, so they had to depend on IV drips for some form of nutrition. She had become practically skin and bones except for the ginormous extended bump.
Most of their days revolved around trying to figure out how to keep Bella and the baby alive. No one wanted to leave just in case everything went wrong. The family's hesitation to go out and hunt meant everyone was hungry. When Bella slept, Rory ventured the woods surrounding the Cullen's home for any animals to bring back to the others, who spent their time trying to figure out what was growing inside Bella.
Freshly fed and having hauled a deer into the garage, Rory entered Carlisle's study, intent on informing her family members that she had brought home dinner where instead she found Carlisle, Esme, Alice, and Emmett either on a laptop or holding some ancient book.
"We're researching vampire babies on the internet?" She leaned over Emmett's shoulder to read his screen. He shot her a tired smile and continued scrolling through the legend about blood-drinking children.
"And books," Esme chimed in from next to the bookshelves as she flipped through the pages of an old journal.
