Rebirth (Twilight Saga - Pregnant with the next generation)

Chapter Two

“I think I’m getting fat already” Alice grouched as she wandered into the kitchen. “And I’m only 3 months in!” She lifted the floaty peasant blouse she was wearing to expose the fact that her jeans zipper was several inches from being able to do up. “And these are my loosest pants!” she groaned reaching for a blueberry muffin out of the pan Bella had just taken from the oven.  Jasper dropped silently through the floor to ceiling glass window that faced the forest: “that must mean we need to go shopping” he teased as he formed his hand around the exposed bulge of skin where the denim refused to meet. Alice clapped her hands gleefully and turned around on her tiptoes to kiss him, “I knew there was a reason I married you”.

Esme smiled wistfully and rubbed her own slightly swollen stomach as she watched the two women compare their growing midsections and banter back and forth. She was glad that they seemed happy and healthy and full of life and vitality. It must just be her who was having such a hard time with the pregnancy.  She had been sick multiple times every day for the last 6 weeks and the nausea and faintness showed no signs of letting up. Carlisle had faithfully been at her side each time her roiling stomach had forced her to her knees in front of the toilet, holding her hair back with one hand and rubbing her back with the other before carrying her back to their bed. And vomiting up a diet that mainly consisted of blood was far from pleasant. The only thing she had managed to keep down on a regular basis was the peppermint tea that was her constant companion at all hours of the day. That, combined with the resulting weight loss was what had Carlisle so worried.

“So?” Alice’s voice intruded brightly into Esme’s silent reverie, “are we going shopping?” Truthfully she wanted nothing more than to curl up in a dark quiet room with another cup of tea, but she was beginning to feel like a hermit. “Absolutely, we’ll have to take the Range Rover or two cars though to fit all 8 of us if we’re going into Arlington to shop”. She laughed “I’m sure the boys are looking forward to going maternity clothes shopping with us”.

Even  with the inconceivable speed of vampires, it took them about an hour to get ready for the trip. Putting thermoses of blood in a cooler, making sure the shocks were in working order on the car before they transported three high risk pregnancies, making sure they had hoodies or jackets in case the sun was shining as they were walking between stores etc.etc. etc.

Going anywhere as a group always invited stares from onlookers, eight of the most beautiful beings anyone had ever seen all together in one place was bound to raise a few eyebrows and bag some double takes. Luckily the Cullens had perfected the mimicry of breathing and unconscious body movements when they went out, and with three in the group exhibiting extra mortal symptoms helped with the appearance of normalcy – especially the matching baby bumps.

Almost immediately, all 103 lbs. of Alice dragged a bemused Jasper over to the Prada display squealing “Oooh, Prada does maternity!” and immediately ensconced herself in the clothing racks flanking every empty square foot of the store.

“How does this look, Emmett?”  Rosalie stepped out from behind the changing room curtain in a tight, red ruched dress with little lace cap sleeves that hit just above the knee. Emmett was used to his shopping mad wife and was patiently sitting with his arms crossed behind his head outside the dressing room. He was used to Rosalie looking stunning in everything she wore, but the glow of impending motherhood shone from every inch of her like sun through a cloud. “You look so beautiful baby”.  Looking at her newly softened curves he felt a fierce wave of protective pride that she had chosen him, and that he had put that baby in her belly that made her so happy.

Esme gravitated towards the racks of empire waist dresses and floaty smocks that she fingered meditatively. “I never thought I would have reason to ever dress like this” she murmured as she felt Carlisle come up behind her. He swept her hair to the side and kissed the silvery crescent scar on the nape of her neck where he had transformed her with his venom when she had tried to commit suicide after her infant son had died and she had been sent straight to the morgue, so great were her injuries .  He couldn’t keep the wide grin off his face as Esme came out in piece after piece of softly coloured, flowing clothing that would accommodate the belly she so tenderly cradled now as it was growing in the coming months. She just radiated an aura of complete serenity and contentment. He was so lucky… Carlisle mused as she was changing back into her street clothes.