“I agree with Edward,” Carlisle’s voice was smooth and authoritative. He took a seat beside Edward, everyone facing Bella and I, Emmett at my back.

Edward’s face was scarcely concealing his contempt.

For a moment, I thought my jaw would dislocate it slammed so far down in shock. The force of his words hit me like a Mack truck. He was on Edward’s side? What?! I thought he would surely be on our side, on Bella’s side. He’s a doctor for Christ’s sake! He should be tending to her, not asking her to terminate her child.

Edward looked triumphant, as if he could play the Carlisle trump card.

Not this time.

“Bella,” Carlisle said gently, using his best doctor’s bedside manner. “I can not fathom what you are going through; I also can’t imagine what is possibly growing inside of you. This makes me very nervous,” he gripped the table slightly, as if trying to word things correctly, in a convincing way. “As you have seen in the past, vampires are not gentle creatures.”

Bella nodded. The slight fear in her eyes was an obvious indication she wasn’t taking his words lightly. She turned her palm up to grasp my hand at his expressions. She was worried too, that he would force her to end the growing child within her.

But, as I had promised, I wouldn’t let them do it.

“The fetus,” he continued, “it could very well be lethal when it is born. It’s not going to be like a human,” he shook his head slightly at one of his thoughts, as if shaking it off. “We can not predict what will become of this…creature. We need to act as soon as possible. It is growing at an intensity I have never seen in all of my years.”

A small tear slid down Bella’s face. My stomach plummeted toward the floor. She’s giving in. She’s going to let them do it. How could she? She’s taking my dream and throwing it away. How could she not be fighting tooth and nail to save this precious gift?

“Carlisle,” Bella said softly. “I love him. Please don’t make me do this. I want this baby.” Her voice was full of reverence. Mine would have been to.

And then, I picked my heart off the floor and squeezed her hand lightly, reminding myself she was fragile and breakable.

“No one is going to make you do anything you don’t want to,” I said with conviction.

The only other voice in the room was Edward’s, and it was small, like a tiny child barely whispering. “Him?”

—

Suddenly, I fell back to reality with a thud as we all turned in unison to hear a motor bike racing down our drive.

“It’s Jacob,” Edward informed us all.