Chapter Four
Baby Fever
Grace Cullen-Swan

"Ow." Bella sucked in a deep breath, clutching her ribcage as she readjusted herself.

"What's wrong?" Charlie asked worriedly, putting down his knife and fork as he got up from the dinner table and went to her side.

"I'm fine." She laughed at him. "He just kicked me a little harder than normal."

"Sounds like the baby might've broken a rib." I frowned, doing a quick examination of the bones on that side of her ribcage.

"Broken?" Charlie worried.

"Normal human babies have been known to break ribs." I told them. "And with Bella being at around thirty-five weeks, there's not much time left to go."

"There's only a week left until Christmas break and everyone thinks you're just about ready to pop. Do you think he'll be ready by then?" Bella asked me worriedly.

"I think so." I nodded. "At the very worst, we'll induce labor a little early. The baby is perfectly able to survive outside of the womb at this point."

"Okay." Bella nodded. "I'm just going to go up to bed. I'm so tired." She stretched as she got up from the table carefully.

"Here, take your tea with you." I told her, handing her her water bottle before kissing her head and sending her upstairs.

"This is normal?" Charlie questioned me the moment Bella's door shut.

"Perfectly." I nodded. "Honestly, I'm just surprised the baby isn't hurting her more than it is. It's much stronger than her, obviously, but I think that increasing the blood from one bottle a day to two has really helped lately."

"I do too." He nodded. "She's been really stable. I think she should stay home tomorrow. I know we said she could go down to the reservation, but I think she should rest."

"I agree." I smiled at him over my shoulder as I went to clean up her dishes. "We really need to go shopping soon. We have nothing for a baby, well, besides the gifts people have been dropping off at my classroom."

"I'm off tomorrow. We can go together." He told me, joining me at the sink with his plate before picking up a dish towel to help me.

"Great. It's a date then." I giggled and he kissed me sweetly.

In the morning, after making sure Bella and the baby were fed and settled in for the day, Charlie and I got in my car and headed towards Port Angeles. We decided that the one baby specific store in Forks was not a good idea as we didn't want to be pestered today and so getting lost in a town like Port Angeles seemed much better.

I think he and I both were having fun searching store racks for cute clothes and blankets. He would find something he liked and hold it up from across the store just to show me, which would make me giggle at him, which would make him laugh at my giggling.

"Oh, you two are just so cute!" The store owner came up to us as we were looking through their crib selection. "I've been watching you two flirt with each other all morning." She laughed. "How far along are you?"

"Just a week to go." I smiled nervously.

"Oh! Wow!" Her eyes widened. "How exciting!"

"Very." Charlie nodded.

"So, most first time moms get everything and then some early, what all do you have?" She asked us.

"Nothing." Charlie shook his head and I elbowed him playfully to make her laugh.

"He's got a teenager from a previous marriage and I've got two adopted teenagers myself, so there hasn't been much time to get everything ready." I giggled.

"Oh! Well, I'm here to help, let's get moving you two." She laughed.

She got us everything we needed in no time at all. When I told her we didn't know the gender, she kept everything neutral but still pretty and cute. When we finally got everything loaded into the car, I felt so much better about being prepared for the baby.

"That was really nice of her." Charlie smiled as we got settled into the car.

"Very." I agreed. "I know you've had a baby before, but I've never been around one besides the nursery at hospitals here and there, so I had no clue what all we needed." I laughed nervously.

"It was actually fun." He shook his head. "I know Bella's not, but I'm excited enough for the both of us."

"I know what you mean." I nodded. "It's not an ideal situation, but I can't help but be thrilled to be getting a grandchild."

"So, do you think she'll come around once the baby is born?" He asked me.

"I hope so." I sighed deeply. "I'd hate for her to ruin possibly her only chance at motherhood by having us take custody, but at the same time I understand her feelings on the matter."

"Me too." He agreed. "What do you say we get home, hmm?" He smirked at me, kissing me quickly before pulling the car out of the parking lot and on the road to home.

"Bella? Do you want to come see what all we got?" I called out excitedly to her as Charlie and I came in with our arms loaded full of bags.

"Grace!" Bella called out, sounding terrified and in pain. "Help!" She screamed, and I rushed to get upstairs.

I found her standing in her bedroom, a puddle of fluid at her feet, and my dead heart nearly started beating again at the shock.

"Okay, let's not panic." I cooed, going to her side quickly. "Charlie! The baby is coming!" I called down to him.

"I'm on it!" He called back, knowing the plan, and I heard him rushing around downstairs to get everything in place.

"We're going to get you downstairs and out to the car so we can go over to the Cullen house. I have Carlisle's office all set up and ready." I spoke reassuringly to Bella, trying to calm her down as I began to help her down the stairs.

"No, no, I'm not ready for this." She shook her head. "No."

"There's no choice here, sweetheart." I tried to soothe the panic. "It'll be easy. I'm going to put you to sleep for a bit and when you wake up, it'll all be over." I promised her.

"Okay." She nodded, starting to calm down as we reached the front door.

"Hold on, the Parkers are out in their front yard." Charlie told us, coming inside from putting things in the car.

"Here." I huffed, making myself look pregnant and taking Bella's bump away. "Come get on my other side and act like you're supporting me." I instructed. "Just get Bella and I both into the car, then you can go and tell them what's happening."

Charlie went into Police Chief mode as he quickly got Bella and myself into the car before running over to the fence between our yard and our neighbors. I watched him speak with them for a short minute before I rolled down the window.

"Charlie!" I screamed at him, trying to act like a woman having a baby.

"On it!" He called back, telling the neighbors goodbye before running back to the car and getting in the drivers seat. "I told them that we were planning on driving to the hospital Carlisle works at now, but you were a week early and surprised us." He explained as he pulled the car out of the drive and headed towards the Cullen house.

"But you said we were still planning on driving there anyway, right?" I asked, hoping he had stuck to the cover story.

"Of course." He nodded. "I told them I could get there in time and that you thought you still had awhile before the contractions really sped up."

"Oh, they're speeding up, trust me." Bella spoke through clutched teeth.

"We're almost there, sweetheart." I cooed as Charlie's tires hit the driveway.

The instant the car was in park, I jumped out and rushed Bella upstairs to the makeshift surgical suite I had set up in Carlisle's office. I had her changed and on the gurney in no time. Charlie was just making it into the room as I began to hook Bella up to anesthesia.

"Are you sure that's safe?" Charlie questioned, knowing most c-sections refrain from general anesthesia.

"Perfectly." I nodded, petting Bella's hair as she started to drift under. "Usually they only use local so the mom can be awake for the birth." I explained, pulling the cart with all of the tools over to my side

I made sure Bella was good and asleep before beginning prep.

"Are you sure you're okay to stay and help me?" I asked, ready to begin the procedure. "I know how you are about blood."

"I'm fine." He nodded, steeling his expression. "Let's just hurry."

We worked well as a team, Charlie was fast to hand me what I needed and followed my orders precisely as I worked my way through the C-section. I was actually quite impressed by his resolve to stay, no matter how green he was turning.

However, when it came time to cut through the uterus, I found that no knife I had could manage to cut through it.

"Love, do you remember when I told you we had to be prepared for the worst?" I cooed, setting my tools back down.

"Yeah?"

"Great, I need you to step out of the room, I don't want you to see what I'm about to have to do." I smiled sweetly at him, not wanting to tell him the details.

"Umm...okay." He nodded, pulling his gloves off and throwing them away as he headed out of the room.

I had to mentally push the sane and rational side of myself into the background and give over to the un-rational vampire side as I grasped one of my incisors firmly between my fingers and ripped it from its socket. The searing pain and flow of venom almost made me collapse, but I quickly used it to slice through the uterus before cleaning it off and sticking it back into its socket. As I used suction on all of the amniotic fluid, my tooth healed and the venom ceased, so I was able to think much more clearly when it came time to pull the baby out.

"Welcome to the world." I cooed as I got the baby into my arms and cut the umbilical cord. "Sweet girl." I smiled widely, knowing Bella had sworn she was going to be a boy.

I got the baby bundled up after I got her to cry out and placed her aside for a moment while I quickly stitched Bella together and got her off of the anesthesia. After making sure Bella was resting soundly, I gave the baby a full exam and found her to be in perfect health. I got her bundled back up before heading downstairs to meet Charlie in the kitchen.

"It's a girl!" I smiled widely at him as he zeroed in on us. "Perfect health, her and Bella both."

"Wow." Charlie marveled, hovering over my shoulder as I took her to the sink to get her cleaned off. "God, look at all that hair." He chuckled.

She had a full head of dark hair, but as I washed and cleaned her off, I could detect some reds and golds in it. I knew she would most likely have Edward's bronze/copper hair. She stirred then, and stretched as she opened her eyes to look up at Charlie and I.

"Your eyes are brown!" I cheered happily, loving that she had Charlie and Bella's gorgeous brown eyes. "Oh, hello there." I cooed to her as I dried her off.

"She's so perfect." Charlie teared up as he helped me dress her in a warm outfit.

"Aww, Charlie." I smiled at him. "I know, it's amazing isn't it? All of the stress and worry is gone. Now we just get to be happy grandparents." I hummed, bundling her up in a new blanket and passing her to Charlie to hold.

"Don't you want to hold her?" Charlie asked me, surprised I was passing her off so soon.

"I do." I sighed, playing with some of her light hints of curls and marveling at her wide eyes. "But I should go check on Bella. Also, I don't want to get too terribly attached, just incase Bella changes her mind." I explained before climbing the stairs back up to Carlisle's office.

I changed Bella into some warm pyjamas after cleaning her up and dressing her surgical wounds. She was resting easy, and I knew she would sleep for another hour or so, and so I went back downstairs to Charlie and the baby.

"Ow!" Charlie cried out right as I entered the living room.

I paled at the sight of the tiny bloody bite on his finger.

"Did she bite you?" I gasped, going to him quickly. "Is it burning?"

"No." He shook his head. "It just hurt like hell." He clutched his finger tightly in his palm.

"No burning?" I questioned again and he shook his head. "Hmm, do you not have venom? Still, you probably shouldn't bite the Chief, hmm?" I asked the baby teasingly. "I wish we knew what to call you."

"Bella didn't want to think of a name." Charlie told me. "What would you pick if you could?"

"Probably Elizabeth." I answered immediately. "It was my mothers name, and Edward's mother, both who I have a lot to thank for."

"It fits her." He nodded happily. "I'd pick Grace for her middle name."

"Oh, stop teasing." I chided him playfully, snuggling up against his side more so I could cuddle both him and the baby.

"I'm not." He stated soundly. "She and Bella both would probably be dead if it hadn't been for you pulling them both through. This family has so much to thank you for, and so I think it's only fitting she be named in honor of the three women that led her to being here. Your mother, Edwards mother for not letting you give up on finding Carlisle and having a family, and yourself for your diligent care of her and her mother."

"Elizabeth Grace Swan." I nodded, already in love with the idea. "Let's not get carried away." I shook my head. "Bella could change her mind."

"I don't think she will, Honey." He shook his head.

"Well, I hope she does." I told him. "This is an angel you're holding, you do realize that? Look at her! Already so alert and so beautiful...I can't imagine anyone not wanting her." I cooed.

Charlie and I sat there for a long while, just petting and marveling at the little bundle in his arms, until I finally heard Bella stir upstairs.

"Here, let me see her. Bella's waking up." I told him, taking the baby in my arms and going upstairs with him close behind me. "Hello, sweet girl." I cooed to Bella as Charlie opened the door for me.

"Hey." She smiled slightly, scrunching her face up as she sat up painfully. "So? What's the verdict?"

"It's a girl." I smiled widely, unable to contain my happiness when I had such a miracle in my arms. "Would you like to hold her?" I asked, knowing this was going to be the real moment of truth.

"Sure." She nodded, looking just as aware of the situation as I was, and I carefully handed the baby to her. "Wow." Bella smiled down at her. "I can't believe she's real."

"She's perfect." Charlie praised Bella, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

Bella dissolved into a fit of powerful sobs then, and I quickly had Charlie take the baby so I could wrap Bella tightly into my arms and soothe her.

"I just can't do this, Mom!" She sobbed, clutching me tightly. "I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't-"

"Shh." I hushed her chanting. "It's okay, you don't have to, we can wait until you're ready later-"

"No, I can't be her mom. I can't do this later. I can't do this! Just take her, please." Bella begged.

"Okay, okay." I nodded, trying my best to soothe her. "We'll leave you alone for a bit then." I settled her back down before leaving the room with Charlie and the baby.

"Well, I guess that's our answer." I sighed deeply. "She's too unstable to care for a baby right now."

"And she's asked us to take custody." Charlie nodded. "So, would you like to hold Elizabeth now?" He smirked softly at me, handing the baby out towards me.

"Yes." I nodded, happily taking her into my arms, even though I was still a little hesitant about taking the role of mother from Bella.

I dissolved into my own tearful fit then, unable to stomach all of the emotions suddenly rushing through me. It was as if all of the fear, panic, tenseness, heartbreak, and loneliness I had felt the last few months was washing over me all over again. Except, this time I had the overwhelming feelings of love, guilt, and longing on top of me as well. Love for the sweet baby in my arms, guilt for taking her away from her mother who was hurting so badly because of my idiotic son, and longing for the family that should be by my side during such an amazing moment.

"Honey, it's okay to be happy about it. You don't have to feel guilty for getting to mother your granddaughter." Charlie soothed me, wrapping his arms around Elizabeth and I sweetly.

"Okay." I kissed him deeply as I tried to convince myself to stop crying. "You're right." I nodded, allowing myself to smile sweetly down at Elizabeth as I rocked and cooed at her.

She stared up at me with nothing but wonder and love in her wide brown eyes, the same eyes I had fallen in love with in her mother and grandfather, and I felt a strong bond forming between us already. I knew that no matter what, I was going to protect her just as fiercely as I did Charlie and Bella.

"I could get used to this." I offered Charlie a playful smirk before going back to fawning over Elizabeth.