“Kayla, look at this one!”
“I see it, Alice.”
“Isn’t it just gorgeous!” gushed my sister-in-law. She picked up a dress made of satin blue material and held it against me. I looked down at it, wishing I could go home. But my husband beside me, gently squeezed my hand, reminding me I would not be able to escape.
“Yes,” I smiled at Alice. “Very pretty.”
Alice couldn’t sense my lack of enthusiasm but Edward could. I knew he was trying to cheer me up but a shopping trip wasn’t the best way to do it. He sighed quietly.
“We’ll need to get you a size bigger,” Alice said, looking on the rack for another dress. “You’re getting bigger every day.”
“Just remind me, why don’t you,” I said, glancing at my swollen belly.
“I’m not calling you fat,” Alice said, holding up another dress.
“I know,” I said, sighing. “What I meant was, the baby’s growing a little too fast.”
Edward put a reassuring arm around my shoulders.
“We’ll arrange another scan,” he said, kissing the top of my head. “Don’t worry.”
“It isn’t surprising,” Alice said, shaking her head at the bigger sized dress. “Considering what we are and what you are.” She lowered her voice. “We’re all really fast so maybe the baby’s taking that from us and growing really fast.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Edward said.
“It makes sense,” Alice put the bigger size back on the rack. “You’ll be slim again after you’ve had my niece or nephew, so you can wear it then.”
Smiling happily she moved onto another rail.
“I’m not having the best of times,” I whispered to Edward. “Can’t we go home?”
Edward shook his head.
“You need to get out of the house, Kayla,” he said to me. “You can’t spend all your time locked up in your bedroom.”
“I don’t spend all my time locked up in my bedroom.”
“Yes you have. You haven’t been back to our house since it happened. You’ve been at Charlie’s.”
“And what is wrong with that?” I said, my voice no longer a whisper. “Can’t I spend time with my father?”
“I think there is another reason why you’re not coming home.”
“There is no other reason,” I replied, looking away from his eyes. He took my face gently in his cold hand and made me lock eyes with him. His eyes, dark gold, were full of pain that I knew I had caused. I hated seeing him like this.
“Of course there isn’t,” he said and his hand fell from my face. “Tell Alice to pay for the clothes and I’ll bring the car around.”
He handed me his wallet and then left the shop. I watched him leave, feeling my heat tighten, and searched for Alice among the clothes.

“So,” Alice said, breaking the long silence in the car. “What’s everyone doing tonight?”
I didn’t answer her and neither did Edward. He kept his gaze on the road while I stared into space in the passenger seat next to him. Alice sat in the back, worrying about both of us and trying to lift the silence and relieve the tension she and I could feel.
“Kayla, do you want to come over for dinner?” she asked me. I could feel her eyes burning into the back of my head.
“What’s the point?” I said. “It’ll only be me eating.”
“You could still come over,” she said. I could hear the plea in her voice. “We could watch a movie or something.”
“I’m too tired,” I said, yawning for effect.
“All you do is sleep, Kayla,” Edward said quietly, but not quietly enough.
“And what is that supposed to mean, Edward?” I shot back, my temper rising.
He turned to look at me, a sweet smile on his face that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Nothing dear,” he said, looking back to the road. “Just making an observation.”
I narrowed my eyes at my soon-to-be-dead-again husband.
“Oh, I think there was something implied there,” my voice rose. “And if you think I’m going to sit here and-”
My vision swam before my eyes before everything went dark.

Thirsty. Oh so thirsty. My throat burned, it ached. I couldn’t escape it. I tried to think of other things, anything, but I couldn’t be distracted. I couldn’t ignore it.
Althought there were no humans near me I could still pick up faint scents and they tortured me, reminding me what I couldn’t have. If I wasn’t careful I would do something I would regret. I had to get out of here. I had to go somewhere humans weren’t. Without making a sound, I quickly ran to the open window. Again, human scents hit me but I shut off my breathing. I could hear her, moving around in the bathroom as she washed up and changed. I didn‘t want to leave her but I was afraid I would hurt her. I jumped out of the window before I could change my mind and stay. I set off for the nearest forest.

My eyes flew opened, my hands going to my throat as if to soothe the burn I didn’t actually feel.
“Kayla?”
I heard Edward’s velvety voice thick with worry, even though I couldn’t see him yet. My vision was blurred and very slowly coming into focus.
“I’m okay,” I said to Edward, wherever he was. I tried to sit up but strong cold hands pushed me back down.
“Just lie there,” Edward said to me. “We’re almost at the hospital.”
“What?!,” I gasped. I could see the outline of Edward above me, which meant I was lying down down, probably in the back seat of the car.
“Ony two minutes away,” Alice said, from the front of the car. I could hear worry in her voice too.
“I don’t need a hospital,” I insisted, fixing my eyes on the blurred face of Edward. “I’ve had visions before.”
“But you weren’t pregnant,” Alice explained. “That makes it more dangerous.”
“How?” I asked.
“You’re not the only one who goes unresponsive,” Edward whispered.
My hands flew to my stomach and I breathed a sigh of relief when I was greeted with a nudge.
“The baby is fine,” I said, and I searched for Edward’s hand. I found it and placed it on my stomach. My vision in full focus now I saw him smile when he felt the the nudges.
“We’re here,” Alice announced. Before I could say anthing, I was lifted out of the car.
“I can walk,” I said, knowing Edward was going to carry me into the hopital. “And we’re both fine so we can go home.”
“No,” Edward said, putting me down. His arm went around my waist, supporting me. “I called Carlisle. He’s waiting for us.”
I groaned as we walked into the hospital. Sure enough, there was Carlisle. He smiled at me, a comforting smile before leading us to the x-ray department for a scan.
“Honestly, Carlisle,” I said, as he squeezed the cold gel stuff on my belly. “We’re fine.”
“Just to be on the safe side,” Carlise picked up the probe for the ultrasound and slid it across the stomach, just below my belly button.
Edward and Alice gasped when they saw the baby on the screen. I felt myself smile fully for the first time in days. The baby began to move around on the screen and I swear a little hand waved at us.
“How many weeks?” Alice asked Carlisle.
“It’s been seven or eight days since I last scanned you,” Carlisle said, looking at the screen. “I would say you are between sixteen and eighteen weeks pregnant.”
My eyes widened. I was four months pregnant in only two weeks. Edward’s hand sqeezed mine as I went into panic mode in my head. There was nine months in an average pregnancy, I was four months which left five to go. But four months was two weeks to this baby so I only had two and half weeks to go.
“Carlisle, can you tell the sex of the baby?” Alice asked. I looked at her and saw she was fidgetting with excitement. Her eyes were fixed on the baby and all I could get from her mind was love and adoration for this half vampire child.
“Not yet,” Carlise replied. He pressed a few buttons on the machine. “Not until twenty weeks.”
Alice looked sad for less than a decond before she perked up.
“That’s only days away so I don’t have to wait long.”
“Days away,” I repeated faintly.
Edward sqeezed my hand again.
Don’t worry, love, he thought to me. I’ll be right here. I’ll look after you. You’ll be safe.
Carlisle looked at me, his golden eyes watching me with worry. His thoughts were clear of anything concerning me, so I knew he must be wanting to think about me but didn’t want to be eavesdropped on.
“Edward, Alice,” Carlisle said, looking each of his children directly in the eyes. “Would you give Kayla and I a moment alone please? Take a drive.”
Alice glanced at Edward who lookd at Carlisle. Carlisle nodded his head towards the door and Edward stood up, Alice following him in one graceful movement. Alice smiled at me before opening the door. Edward stared at Carlisle, his face hard. Carlisle lifted his eyebrows, a silent way of saying ‘I’m, your father and you will do what I say‘.
“Edward,” Alice tugged on the sleeve of his arm but he ignored her, his eyes blazing at Carlisle.
“Edward,” I said, trying to sound stern but failing. “Just go.”
Edward looked at me, the fire in his eyes fading and he smiled his crooked smile.
For you.
I smiled up at him and he turned on his heel, following Alice out of the room. Carlisle didn’t speak to me immediately. I knew he was waiting for Edward and Alice to be out of earshot before talking. He wiped the gel off my stomach with some paper towel and then cleaned the probe before turning the machine off. He waited while I pulled my shirt down and sit up on the bed.
“Okay,” I said to my father-in-law. “What do you want to talk to me about?”
“I know that you love your baby,” he began, hesitating slightly. “I know that you would do anything to save your child, as you have already proven. I know that you would be a great mother, I am not doubting that. I just want to ask you to consider the option of terminating your pregnancy.”
I stared in horror at Carlisle. Did I just hear what I thought I heard? Was he seriously asking me that? Did he seriously think I would?
I opened my mouth to speak but words wouldn’t come out. I didn’t know what to say to Carlisle. I didn’t know whether to be angry with him or ask why he was asking me to consider killing my child.
“I know what you’re thinking,” he sighed, walking around the room. “You’re horrified that I would ask you that. I know but I’m thinking of you, believe me.”
His pace was fast. He was nervous. His thoughts were jumbled and incoherent. I didn’t know what was going on inside his mind.
“Carlisle, I am confused,” I said, watching him. “Why are you asking me this? If you’re thinking of me, then you would know that if I lost my child, I would die too.”
He stopped walking abruptly and stared at me. His gold eyes were full of fear. It was so unusual to see fear in Carlisle. He was always so strong, so composed. You never expected him to be scared. You expected him to take control and comfort you.
“Kayla, I know that you are scared. You don’t know what’s happening, you don’t know how things will play out.”
I nodded. I was scared. This wasn’t a normal pregnancy that I could look up in all those books written for expecting mothers. This was something completely different.
“I don’t either. I don’t know what I’m doing, Kayla. I don’t know if I can help you deliver this baby naturally or if I have to perform a caesarean. I don’t even know if a caesarean is possible in this case.”
He started pacing again, running a hand through his hair. I watched him, not knowing what to say to calm him. He looked frantic with worry and fear. A thousand thoughts went through his mind that I couldn’t hear because they went so fast. Vampire minds are different.
“I am scared,” he said, stopping again. He walked over to me and sat on the bed next to me. “I am scared that if things go drastically wrong, you will not survive. So many teenage girls have died during childbirth because they are not ready physically. I think that in this case you will never be ready physically. This is not a human child but a half vampire child. The strength that baby will possess will be incredible, considering it will also be half Azdi. It could kill you.”
“I know,” I said. “But that doesn’t change things. I would die for this baby, Carlisle, just like I would die for Edward or for anyone I love.”
“I know,” he said, again running a hand through his hair. “The thing is, this baby is growing tremendously fast. You may not be able to carry it full term. You will not be able to grow fast enough to accommodate your child and it may suffocate and die inside you.”
I grabbed his hand and squeezed. He didn’t relax or smile as I hoped he would. It was upsetting to see Carlisle like this. When he was scared then you knew you should be too. It frightened me that my baby might die but I should at least let it live a little longer and see what happens rather than just have an abortion now. My baby might survive.
“Let’s just go a few more days,” I suggested, squeezing his hand again. “If complications happen then I trust you will do what’s best. Whether it’s for me or the baby. Okay?”
He nodded once and I smiled to reassure him. He didn’t smile back and I worried for him. I hope my pregnancy wouldn’t stress him out.
“I could find another doctor,” I said to him. “If this is too much for you.”
Carlisle laughed and I was pleased to hear it was his normal laugh which made his eyes crinkle and sparkle.
“You won’t find many doctors in Forks willing to take on your pregnancy with your best interests in mind.”
“Oh,” I said, thinking what doctors would do to me if they found out my condition. “Right. Guess I’m stuck with you.”
“Yes you are,” he smiled.
“Tell me if this gets too much for you, please,” I looked into his sparkling gold eyes. “I don’t want to be a burden and trouble you.”
“You will never be a burden,” Carlisle said, sincerely. “You are my daughter and I will always be here to help you, whatever the problem is.”
He pulled me into a hug. Instead of my mood descending into despair and other murky emotions as it had been doing lately, it lightened. I felt truly happy for the first time in what seemed like forever.
















Author's Note:
For those of you who have been reading Kayla from the beginning, you would have noticed that I stopped posting regularly and sometimes go weeks without posting a new chapter. I apologise.
At the moment, I am not well. I can't go into details as I barely know all of you but I appreciate if you are concerned for me and I am seeking the appropriate help I need. I know I sound vague and dramatic and it sounds like I have a life threatening illness but believe me, I will be okay.
Right now, I am just not capable of writing regularly as much as I would like to. I will continue to post whenever I can and I hope that you remain faithful to my story and do not give up on Kayla. Remember, she's pregnant with Edward's baby.
So just stay with me, Guys, and hopefully I'll be back on track and tackling the birth of a half-vampire half-Azdi baby.
Love you all <3
EmmaLouise aka twilight-7