48 | LIFE SUCKS, THEN YOU DIE |

TWO THINGS WENT THROUGH JACOB BLACK'S HEAD AS HIS HEAD JERKED BACK WITH THE STRIKE OF RORY'S FIST. One, today was not his day; second, he should've seen that coming.

Blood spurted from his broken nose at Rory's firm punch landed and he truly regretted telling the Pack about Bella's pregnancy just as Rory promised he would. The vampire before him didn't seem hindered by the scent of fresh blood, she was too furious at him to feel thirsty.

"I've had enough of your bullshit, Jacob!" she growled as she shoved him back into the dirt.

Seth had the sense to run to the safety of the house. He had left Sam's Pack for Jacob and it being the right thing to do, but he also didn't have a death wish. He had witnessed Rory tear people apart without lifting a finger, he was smart enough to let others handle the situation.

Jasper reeled back at the scent, immediately holding his breath. Even if Jacob's blood smelled disgusting and unappetizing, it still garnered some burn in any sane vampire's throat. He was more so focused on breaking up the one-sided fight between Rory and Jacob.

"Stop this now!" Edward had already jumped down the balcony, a determined expression on his face as he headed straight for Rory who was in the midst of lifting Jacob up in the air by his throat, seeming to intend to throw him into the woods.

"Sweetheart..." Jasper tried to slowly approach the starving lion inches from skinning the wolf in her claws.

Suddenly, her obsidian eyes flashed on the two vampires nearing her. "Stay back!" Rory commanded them, that dark sheen over her still. "I'm not done with him yet. This is between me and my dear stepbrother," she spat out.

Despite Rory's hand holding him against the trunk of a tree, Jacob managed to choke out, "How many times do I have to say we aren't family!"

"Jasper!" Edward looked at his brother aghast by Rory's action that prohibited him from interfering. The blond gestured to the rumbling pair helplessly, there wasn't anything either of them could do to save Jacob Black with Rory's command holding their will.

"Let me go, you psycho!" Jacob wriggled in her grip, trying to kick her away, but she wasn't having it.

She simply tossed him into the trees like he was a ball she was playing around with and not a full-size werewolf. There was a few odd cracks as his ribs fractured at the force Rory threw him at. He rolled to his feet, shaking in pain and anger, the telltale mark of a wolf shift, but Rory wasn't for it.

"Stop," she hissed and he did to everyone's confusion. No one had expected Rory to be so powerful that she stopped a wolf from shifting despite his high emotions.

Suddenly, they were all interrupted by a loud growl. A grey wolf ran down the hillside of the woods and straight for Rory and Jacob, clearly in the latter's defense. Not expecting the interruption and having been distracted by the other men, Rory raised her arms over her head in self-protection as Leah Clearwater launched herself at her, having no time to move out of the way.

SCREECH

A nasty rip echoed through the air as Rory let out a piercing scream and the spell she had over Edward and Jasper was broken. Leah trotted in front of Jacob protectively, ready to tear another piece of Rory's body off if she tried to attack again. But Rory had snapped out of the darkness as she fell to the dirt, clutching the empty space where her right arm used to be.

"Rory!"

"Jacob!"

"What the hell is going on!"

Alice, Emmett, Carlisle, and Esme raced outside, appearing at the messy scene in a matter of seconds since Rory screamed. Rosalie and Bella waited inside impatiently, wanting to know what the source of all the mysterious fighting was.

The Cullens then arrived to a bloody Jacob, a one-armed Rory, a grey wolf holding a dismembered arm in her teeth, and a seriously scarred Seth.

"This is insanity!" Alice huffed, her hands on her hips as she surveyed the chaos she hadn't foreseen.

Emmett whistled at the macabre situation before his eyes, "Damn it, I missed a fight...again."

"Emmett," Esme admonished disapprovingly as she descended the cement stairs to join Carlisle, Emmett, and Alice approaching the injured teens.

Jasper had rushed to Rory's side as soon as her command broke in her pain. Her eyes were filled with tears and anguish. Jacob was panting heavily, his (several) broken bones and bruises slowly healing.

Seeing the danger over, Leah spat out Rory's arm into the dirt and disappeared behind a cluster of thick trees to swiftly change. She reappeared a moment later, wearing a tank top and shorts, her usual glare on her tanned face. Jacob nodded at Leah, a little confused at her sudden appearance, but thankful nonetheless.

"Did Sam send you?" Jacob got to his feet, glancing at the forest behind Leah suspiciously.

Leah shook her head, "Sam doesn't even know l left."

Just as soon as the words spilled from her mouth, a series of howls echoed could be heard from miles away.

Leah winced. "l think he just figured it out."

Rory narrowed her eyes at the she-wolf. "What are you doing here, then?" she questioned, mildly alarmed. "You hate us."

"l wasn't gonna let my little brother get himself killed," she scoffed, glaring at Rory pointedly, clearly referring to the fact she had arrived in the middle of Rory beating Jacob up.

"Go away, Leah!" Seth piped up with an adorable pout, "l can take care of myself."

His sister arched her brow, "That you think so proves you need a babysitter."

"Okay, let's forget about all the sibling drama for a moment and focus on the fact that the Pack is planning to attack us as we speak," Rory said, eyeing the surrounding woods warily as if the wolves were about to descend. The others gasped, not having tuned in on the turn of events that led to Rory and Jacob's physical altercation.

"Jacob left Sam's Pack because they're planning on killing Bella and the baby," Edward informed them. "Seth—and Leah—have decided to join Jacob in helping us protect our family. Unfortunately, Rory did not take to Jacob's untimely actions nor his words and resulted in what you see before you."

"He shouldn't have left this house without me ensuring what happened wouldn't happen," Rory snapped moodily, glancing at her empty arm socket sourly. It leaked a clear whiteish substance, ruining one of her favorite cropped turtle necks.

Jacob touched his sore nose sourly, "She shouldn't be let out of this house without a leash!"

"You're one to talk, dog!"

"This stops now," Carlisle declared solemnly as he picked up Rory's dismembered arm and faced the guilty party. "Rory, Jacob, it doesn't matter who started what or who said this—we are all facing imminent danger and death. We need each other more than ever, we cannot have you two at each other's throat every second when we might only have hours left before Sam comes."

"l know what his plan is," Jacob interrupted, grabbing everyone's attention. "Sam's lost the element of surprise, and he doesn't want to take you on outnumbered, especially since she returned and can control people—"

"—I prefer intense persuasion—"

"—whatever," he snorted indelicately, "he's not gonna come at you head on. He's got the place surrounded and he'll wait for his opportunity."

Edward raised his chin, "They won't get through without a fight."

Carlisle shook his head, "No more fights. We won't be the ones to break the treaty."

"The treaty is void," Jacob pointed out, "at least in Sam's mind."

"Not in ours," Esme pursed her lips.

Emmett crossed his arms. "We haven't hunted in weeks."

"Correction—y'all haven't. Once I somehow reattach my arm, I'm back on hunting duty. I'm still the only person who can get in and out of any situation I find myself in. Even if the Pack is now in play, they can't touch me. We're not going to starve," Rory promised, alleviating some of the tension of her family members.

"No," Jasper said swiftly, "you're not putting yourself in danger. We can go a few days without hunting, as long as it takes for Bella to give birth. If anything, we need you to stay here more than anyone else."

"You're not serious," Her brows rose in disbelief of her boyfriend.

"You're not infallible, Rory," Jasper reminded her with hard eyes of molten gold, gesturing to her missing arm.

Rory looked away, fixing her gaze on her dismembered body part with a glare, as if she was blaming it for proving she wasn't as indestructible as she wanted everyone, herself included, to believe. Sure, Rory could control a crowd, manipulate anyone's will, she was strong and powerful, but the second she was distracted, she was rendered vulnerable. And Jasper wasn't taking that risk. They had lost each other too many times.

"We'll make do," Esme interceded, "Jasper's right, you can't go off on your own, Rory. And she's right as well, we won't be able to protect ourselves if we are weak."

Seth exchanged a look with Jacob and Leah before stepping forward confidently, "I'm sure if one of us goes with Rory when she hunts, we can protect each other."

"That might work," Edward agreed, nodding as his mind analyzed the potential pros and cons.

Alice blinked and then nodded too. "It will be more than sufficient for now."

"You've done us a great service," he nodded graciously at the shifters. "Thank you." The Cullens all offered their appreciation for the three as they retreated inside the house, seeing the conflict and impromptu meeting had reached its end.

Esme then fixed her gaze at the injured stepsiblings, "Boys," the matriarch referred to her adopted sons, "help bring them into my study to fix them up, please." She instructed them before her and Carlisle—holding Rory's dismembered arm—went ahead of them to prepare the study.

The Cullen matriarch's office on the second floor had been converted into an impromptu hospital room, equipped with an ultrasound machine, surgical table, and vital monitors. It was much more accessible for Bella who was basically couch-ridden.

Jacob twinged in pain—his broken bones were healing, but some needed help to be reset—so he quickly set Leah and Seth on a perimeter patrol before Emmett came over to support him.

On the other hand, despite the slight exasperation they had with each other, Jasper wordlessly picked Rory up into his arms in a princess-carry. She wrapped her one good arm around his neck and leaned into his chest snugly. They were brought inside the house to Rosalie and Bella's shock—they had heard the commotion, but hadn't expected to see the violent ramifications.

Rory felt utterly embarrassed that she had let her emotions get the best of her. She had lost control—for good reason, really, Jacob had been asking for it for a while now—when Bella was dying, the Volturi were after her, and everything was falling to pieces around her. She should've handled herself better.

They sat on opposite sides of the makeshift clinic. Rory sat on the gurney with Jasper leaning against the side, her missing arm now reattached to it's place (the process was kind of gross and fascinating—but that was for another time). Jacob sat in the armchair, icing his bruised body as Carlisle started wrapping his fist. She nearly forgot she had crushed his fist when he tried to swing it at her face during their fight.

"Hey," Rory broke the silence, looking over at the sullen teenager as she said, "I'm sorry."

Jacob was a bit surprised by Rory's abrupt apology. She was probably the stubbornness person he knew, next to Bella, of course—it was probably why they got along so well.

She continued on without a beat, "I lost control back there. So much shit has been going on, I took it out on you and I took it too far."

He nodded slowly as he looked back at her, realizing he had been doing the same to her. "That's fair. I shouldn't have been such an asshole to you, especially when you don't deserve it. I pushed you too far and you're right—I don't know how to shut up. I'm sorry, too."

(Rory thought it was best not to mention her little incident before the newborn army arrived. Alice had informed her the town believed Lauren Mallory had died in a gruesome car accident.)

Jacob had a distant look in his eyes, a mixture of apologetic and sincere. "I guess I was just trying to distance myself from you because I feel partly responsible for what you've become. I was trying to hate you so I wouldn't hate myself as much, selfish, I know, but that's what happened."

"Huh?" She was growing a little confused at his continued candidness.

"Bella told me you met the bloodsucker that turned you the same night as your birthday, the same birthday you were supposed to return to Forks to celebrate." Jacob elaborated further, still not noticing his abrupt shift in emotions. "I had called you a week before, and asked if you wouldn't mind using the money for that flight to help contribute to my dad and your mom's wedding instead. Even though you really wanted to come back, you sacrificed your happiness for someone else's as always, and this time, it cost you your life. I can never forgive myself for what I did."

One minute Jacob was cursing her existence and now he was unceremoniously opening up out of nowhere. Jacob had never been so voluble before. What the hell—Jasper. Rory shot him a sharp look as he kept his gaze trained on Jacob.

She sighed, knowing even if Jacob wouldn't normally be so expressive and objectively honest about his feelings, she appreciated the sentiment none the less. "I guess I forgot all about that, it was so long ago, but it's not your fault, Jacob. There's nothing to forgive because lots of things contributed to my death. Victoria was looking for me so if I had returned to Forks for my birthday, maybe she would've killed me then. There's a lot of what if's and maybe's, but there's only one now." Rory got to her feet, same as Jacob, extending her hand. "So can we stop being assholes to each other now? I kind of just want my brother back."

"I'd like that." Jacob eyed her hand amusedly before shaking it firmly, their contrasting temperatures a shock to both beings. "Truce?"

"Truce."

➖

"Take that you motherfucker!"

"Rory!"

"Sorry, Esme," Rory apologized sheepishly as she focused on the screen before them, sitting crosslegged on the white carpet between her two opponents, doing her best not to crush the plastic remote controllers and simultaneously accelerate as fast as possible (she had already broken four controllers).

"Haha!" Emmett guffawed triumphantly as he bounced to his feet arrogantly, "I'm this close to beating the great and powerful—wait, what!?" His jaw dropped as his Bowser was suddenly hit with three green turtle shells by a red mushroom-headed Toad, causing Emmett to fall behind both Rory's Wario.

As Seth's player crossed the white and black checkered race line first, quickly followed by Rory, Emmett fell to the ground dramatically, throwing his controller on the carpet. "My honor! My game! My life!"

"We love an underdog," Rory said, ruffling the younger boy's hair affectionately. This was their 8th game of Mario Kart and Rory had only lost two of them. It was nice to unwind and find some modicum of relaxation amongst her loved ones despite the situation.

"You little shit!" Emmett pointed at the fifteen year old as though he was accusing him of murder. Seth set the controller down smugly, shooting a large grin at the broader vampire.

"Love to beat you both again, but I think it's time for my shift," he smiled again, happy to say the words.

As the youngest wolf in Sam's Pack, he was hardly ever allowed to go on a perimeter run. But now that there was only three of them, there wasn't much of a choice. Seth stretched upwards as he walked down the hall to the balcony to join Leah. That meant Jacob was coming inside for his break, which rang true as he appeared in the hallway.

The newfound Alpha nodded at everyone as he automatically went over to the couch where Bella was ever resting. She was shivering slightly. "Are you cold?" Rose went to grab the quilt, but Jacob waved her off. "I got it."

Bella beamed at him as he sat beside her and rested his arm on her legs.

"Don't do that."

"What?"

"Smile like I'm your favorite person in the world." He rolled his eyes, feeling a pang of lingering heartache. He felt the pitying and awkward stares of all the bloodsuckers in the room watching their interaction.

Bella was oblivious as she patted his hand, "You're one of them," she declared sweetly.

"She's just saying that to make you feel better—we all know who's the real favorite around here," Rory said haughtily as she sat on Jasper's lap in the leather armchair. "It's me, if you didn't get that."

"Shush, you," Bella admonished her lightly before leaning into her pillow, more comfortable with the walking-space heater that was Jacob beside her. "Feels complete when you're here, Jake."

Suddenly, Bella whimpered and gasped breathily. She was obviously suffering from a lack of nutrition, the baby refusing to let her keep down anything to both of their impediment. She was looking worse and sicker by the day, all color absent from her gaunt face.

"We need to find a way to get some food into her system," Carlisle sighed with a slight shake of his head.

Alice pursed her lips surlily. "If I could only see the fetus..."

"—the baby—" Both Rose and Rory chimed together.

"—maybe I could figure out what it wants," she finished. She tossed them an eye roll.

Jacob withheld a snort as he sarcastically thought about what a vampire baby could possibly want to eat. Or sink it's teeth into.

Edward's eyes darted to Jacob. "Think you might be right." He looked to the rest of the family who had missed out on what thought Edward had read. "Jacob just had an idea."

"It wasn't an idea. lt was a snide comment." He chuckled inwardly despite the tense atmosphere.

Carlisle turned to him, desperate for any clue to help his daughter-in-law. "What were you thinking?"

Jacob took a wide glance around the room before one side of his mouth lifted upwards snarkily, "That it's probably just looking for someone to sink its teeth into."

Rory rolled her eyes. But, he had a point. She suddenly recalled Alec had hinted the baby would have a great thirst. She would've remembered sooner if not for her greater concern with trying to keep everyone else's thirst down.

Bella looked hardly surprised as she rubbed her stomach. "He's thirsty."

Emmett stared off longingly. "I know the feeling."

"Sorry if it's a little difficult to haul a whole live bear across the forest when we're literally being hunted by wolves," Rory rolled her eyes at Emmett's dramatic ass. "There's elk in the garage."

Although Rory hunted, bringing back an elk or a fox or two back for the family certainly wasn't going to fulfill everyone's appetites even if no one was starving. There was only so many animals in the two mile radius  they had decreed as within their perimeter of the home. Any further out meant Sam's Pack could overpower them.

"That's not gross at all," Jacob shuddered at the thought of there being animals just a floor below him being kept as cattle for feed.

"Suck it," Rory shot back sarcastically before both her and Jacob burst into scattered laughter.

"Children," Rosalie shook her head at their inappropriate jokes at such a drastic time.

"If it's craving," Edward trailed off his words reluctantly, "...it's not gonna want animal blood."

Carlisle agreed with a nod. "I have some O negative laid aside for Bella." He disappeared from the living room.

The other vampires exchanged looks. Rory looked from Bella to Jasper indecisively; she knew Jasper shouldn't risk it, but she had a duty to support Bella. Answering Rory's conflict, Alice stood to her feet and approached Jasper and Rory with her hand out. "C'mon, Jazz. I have a lot to talk to you about anyways," she said mirthfully, shooting a confused Rory a wink.

Rory went over to Rosalie and Esme's side, closer to Bella while Alice and Jasper walked down the hall to the balcony. Rose nodded at Emmett to join their other siblings in the fresh outdoors just as Carlisle reappeared at the dining room table behind them. They all listened to the snip of the plastic as the doctor began pouring the contents into a tall glass cup. Rory took a deep inhale of the blood's scent. It had been a while since she's had human blood, while some part of her desired it, she truly preferred being a vegetarian much more.

Jacob merely blinked at the wordless change, the family following each other's needs and movements like a fine-tuned clock. "Wait, wait, wait," he pointed to the glass Carlisle was squeezing the bag of blood into, "You're gonna make her drink that?"

Carlisle wasn't exactly ecstatic about what he was doing either as he solemnly said, "It's the fastest way to test the theory." He met Bella's eyes, "Only if you're comfortable with it."

Bella tried to straighten up on the couch futilely, the size of her bump hindering her attempts. "l'll try anything."

"Hardcore, Bella," Rory offered her friend and encouraging smile.

Edward looked to the side and stood up to walk join Carlisle at the table, "Just hold on."

Jacob scooted away from Bella, looking a little green. "I think l'm gonna be sick," he said as both Carlisle and Edward came back, but this time, the glass cup was left behind and the latter held a white styrofoam cup with a reusable plastic straw that he promptly offered Bella.

"This might make it a little easier to take."

Rory sped behind the couch to help Bella sit up completely. She rested her hand on her friend's shoulder supportingly, "Want a swirly straw, too, Bells?"

Bella let out a breathy laugh as she brought the cup closer and pressed her lips to the straw hesitantly. They watched as a dark shade of crimson liquid slowly ascended the length of the plastic tube.

Bella lowered the cup, and surprisingly, smiled. "Tastes..." They waited with a held breath for the verdict. "...good."

There was a simultaneous sigh of relief. They all shot each other hopeful smiles. Edward pressed his knuckles to his grin.

She brought the straw to her lips again and drank some more, her eyes closing gently. "Mmm."

Carlisle sat next to Bella as he listened to the sound of her pulse from her wrist. "Your pulse is already getting stronger."

Esme nodded, "It's working."

She has a fighting chance, Rory thought as she watched Bella continue to drink. They both do.

➖

Within just two days, Bella was downing pints of blood by the hour, but also miraculously eating real food, strengthening both herself and the baby. Edward could even read the baby's thoughts. It was only a matter of time before Bella would go into labor.

"I can't imagine it's been easy for you," Bella whispered as Rory carried her back to the couch after helping her use the bathroom.

The others had gone to feed, leaving Rory and Bella alone for once. It was peaceful, if you didn't think about the likelihood of being attacked by either the Pack for Bella's baby or the Volturi members out for Rory's head. All in all, a normal day for them.

Rory sat beside the pregnant woman, "Hmm?"

Bella laid her hand on Rory's wrist, "You've dropped everything to come help me even with the Volturi after you"

"Bella, you're my sister, I don't care if the entire population of this earth wants my head, I'll do anything to keep you alive until my head stops rolling," Rory assured her. "This is a miracle. Little Bella or Edward deserves the world."

"I know," the pregnant woman met Rory's eyes tearfully, almost guiltily even, "but you lost your own, and no one's brought up the fact that you should be in my place—not the whole near death thing—but they should've believed you."

"You're right, this has been hard for me—especially since it's been almost a year to the day I lost her," Rory said in a slightly pained voice, her amber eyes glossing over. "For a long time, I was bitter, both right after I left last fall and then when I got my memory back—thanks to you. But I realized that families make mistakes, they hurt each other, both intentionally and unintentionally; no family is perfect."

"Appearances can be deceiving," Bella muttered with wide eyes, reminiscing over the days she naively viewed the Cullens as the epitome of perfection. "How could you forgive them for leaving?"

Rory shrugged nonchalantly, with a faraway look in her eyes. "In all I've lived through, I know more than anyone that everything can change in the blink of an eye, that it's possible for it to be too late to forgive, for there not to be a chance to get a second one. So, I saw two options for myself. I could either hold onto the hurt, stay away from the only place I've ever felt complete because of a miscommunication that split everyone up or I could forgive and heal and be happy. You could see what I chose." Rory fiddled with the gold pendant that hung from her neck thoughtfully.

"I'm glad you gave them, gave us all, a second chance," Bella smiled gratefully. Rory was truly an amazing woman who deserved to be happy.

"Here, feel him, he's awake," Bella said, before wincing sharply, as the baby kicked really hard. "Ouch."

"Stop kicking your mother so much," Rory cooed as she rubbed the taut skin where two visible footprints bounced to Bella's discomfort. To both of their surprise, the feet pulled back immediately, relieving the painful pressure for Bella who let out a sigh of relief.

"Woah!" she gasped. "You just controlled his mind!"

Rory's eyes widened. "Oh, shit, I mean—crap—I'm really sorry," she yanked back her hand from the bump. "Didn't mean to."

Bella shook her head with a smile, rubbing her stomach. "It's not your fault. He's just ready to meet his godmother Rory." Bella placed Rory's hand over her stomach again, where this time, the baby gently moved against Rory's hand.

"You're already a little troublemaker like your mom." Rory's lips curved into a grand smile. "I'm ready, too."

➖

"Bella could deliver as early as tomorrow.

If she's going to have any chance at all, she'll need more blood," Carlisle said the next morning to the small group that had gathered in the study. Unsurprisingly, Bella had finished the last of the human blood bag supply. "We need to go tonight."

"Carlisle, you're the enemy now," Jacob reminded the older vampire, "Sam won't hesitate. You will be slaughtered."

Esme gestured to her strongest son. "Emmett will come with us."

"That won't be enough," Jacob shook his head exasperatedly.

Rory exchanged a look with Jasper, who wordlessly shook his head. She frowned, "I would go as well, but Bella and the baby have a better chance with me here." Not only did she have her gift, Rory was in possession of medical intellect and skill given her family background and experiences, much more so than the others at least besides Carlisle.

"We have no choice, Jacob," Carlisle said firmly. "If there's anything we can do to save her, we have to try."

"You'd risk your lives for her?"

"Like that hasn't been clear the last two years since she's gotten involved with Edward," Rory interjected with crossed arms.

"Of course we would," Esme patted Rory's shoulder motherly, "Bella's a part of our family now.

"Yeah, I can see that," Jacob glanced behind them where Bella and Edward were laughing softly as Edward read the baby's thoughts. "This really is a family. As strong as the one I was born into. I know what I have to do."

"Salty, much?" Rory raised her brow as she watched her stepbrother stomp out of the house purposefully. She shrugged and turned to her boyfriend who was watching her already with an affectionate smile. "Wanna make-out upstairs, Hale?"

He chuckled at her bluntness and bent over to hug her, but in a blink of an eye, he had carried them to his room at the top floor of the house, his door firmly shut close. "Thought I'd never have you to myself again, ma'am."

Rory wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her level. "I always have time for you, Major Whitlock."

➖

"Renesmee?"

It was now night, and the house was strangely empty. Carlisle, Esme, and Emmett had gone off to retrieve blood bags, while Jacob went to distract Sam's wolves. Edward and Jasper were guarding the perimeter until Jacob returned with Seth and Leah just in case.

Bella nodded enthusiastically. "I was playing with my mother's name and Esme's."

"That is...uh, sweet," Rory blinked and swallowed, not wanting to completely shit on the possible name of her future niece or nephew. Rory would take Aurora over Renesmee any day of the week. "And you're absolutely positive you don't like Juliet or Violet or Elizabeth—or any of the other classic literature inspired baby names?"

"I like Juliet," Alice piped in, "It's classy and elegant."

"Yeah, but that namesake dies in the name of true love," Rosalie snorted delicately. "Poetic for Bella and Edward's dramatic love affair, but maybe the uniqueness in Renesmee is more apt."

"You've got me there," Rory admitted with a wag of her pointer finger. "Renesmee for a girl then. What about Rory for a boy?—it's unisex. No offense, but Edward Jacob sounds like the brainchild of a mormon preacher."

"Rory Cullen would be redundant, wouldn't it though?" Alice mused, shooting Rory a wink.

"How so?"

"Well, Rory Aden is kind of dead now, we can't have two Rory Cullen's running 'round the house."

"Jasper doesn't even go by Cullen," Rory snorted, immediately regretting her comment as Alice, Rosalie, and Bella all lit up at her slip. If she still had blood in her veins, she would be as red as a firetruck.

"Oh, my bad, future Mrs. Hale," Bella snickered.

"Nothings been proposed!"

"Please, I've had your wedding planned since your junior prom," Alice said smugly.

"How adorable!"

"Woah, woah, woah," Rory raised her hands up, "Chill." She shook her head, "Me and Jazz have been back together for less than a month after an eleven-month long hiatus. So put a pause on all that wedding plans in your heads—at least until after the hybrid baby is born."

Alice narrowed her eyes. "The minute after the little one is here and we hold her or him, we're having a big talk, you and I, missy!"

"Yeah, yeah."

That moment came a lot sooner than anyone expected. Literally.

A half hour later, Jacob, Edward, and Jasper entered the living room and were being updated on the baby name dilemma, the other's successful escape, laughing and feeling a misplaced sense of hope, when Bella accidentally dropped her styrofoam cup of blood. For some reason, she bent over to try and catch it, but with her center of gravity misaligned, her body didn't cooperate.

CRACK

And everything went to hell. Everyone rushed to bring Bella to the office, she had fainted from the pain. Rory turned to Jasper in a panic. "We need Carlisle! They're both going to die!"

It went unsaid, but while Jasper had a better hold on his blood thirst, the unfolding chaos was not something he needed to test himself with. He nodded and pressed his lips to Rory's forehead. "I'll be back, I love you."

"Be safe. I love you more."

"Debatable, but there's no time to argue."

"—Save her! You've got to change her!" Jacob was shouting to Edward as Rory ran into the office converted into Bella's personal infirmary.  Bella was lying on the bed, convulsing in severe pain as both Alice and Rosalie tried to sooth her.

"I can't," Edward shook his head, "not whilst he's still in there. I've got to get him out first."

"Her heart is failing!" Rory stepped between the men with a glare. "You can't get him out without killing her."

Bella was fading in and out of consciousness, fighting the numbing black that seeped at the edge of her vision.

"Stay, Bella!" Jacob barked, trying to keep her from slipping under. "Stay focused!"

"No! He's suffocating!" she screeched out as another tremor took over her body.

"Jacob, shouting at her like she's a misbehaving dog is not helping!"

"Carlisle said the placenta must have detached. He's coming as fast as he can, but..."

"—We'll have to do it."

Rory ran over to the sink, grateful for the ability to move 10x the speed of a human as she cleaned her hands thoroughly. The last thing Bella needed was an infection—she already had two idiotic boys running around the room like headless chicken. "Rosalie, blankets! Alice, fluids! Jacob, watch her vitals! Edward—give me the scalpel!"

"I'm doing it!"

"You play piano and brood in the shadows, no offense but you have a higher chance of causing Bella to bleed out because you have no idea what the hell you're doing!"

"You're a painter! And you could lose control!"

"I literally have the most control in the room! And my entire family is made up of doctors and nurses, I've known how to suture a wound since I was eight!"

"There's no time to argue! He's dying," Rosalie hissed, her ears picking up on the weakening beats of both Bella and the baby.

"The pain will kill her first! Let the morphine spread!"

"Not if she can't feel it," Rory growled as she locked gazes with the dying human girl, "Bella, you will feel no pain."

Instantly, Bella looked relieved and was now only concerned for her baby inside of her despite technically having several cracked ribs and a broken spine. "Give her the scalpel or get the hell out! Get him out now!"

It was the first time Rory had heard Bella say any unkind word to Edward, and it was clear on the bronze haired vampire's face, it was the first time for him as well. Jacob, Alice, and Rosalie all looked at each other with wide eyes. Edward blinked and in the next second, Rory had a sharper than razor scalpel in her right hand. She decisively made an incision below Bella's bellybutton, only for the blade to snap in two.

"Fuck the scalpel just broke!"

"Use your teeth!" Edward suggested manically.

"Are you completely stupid!?" She shot him an incredulous look before ripping off her gloves.

"Thank the lord I keep my nails long...this is some real vampire bullshit, Bella hold on, okay," Rory smiled at her friend whose heart weakened by the second. The vampire held in her breath as she sliced a line just under Bella's bellybutton. To everyone's relief, it worked perfectly and Rory began the real work of getting the baby out without killing Bella or the baby.

Edward paled even more, his head snapping toward his sisters just as Rosalie's eyes blackened, her eyes trained on the blood. "Rosalie, don't!" he shouted in a panic, too far to stop her.

Jacob, being the closest, quickly tackled the blonde to the floor.

"Alice, get her out of here!" Rory hissed as she continued to work and cut. The blood was almost overwhelming, but Rory wanted Bella and her baby to live more than anything else in the world. Rory's throat was an inferno, but she was strong enough to endure the flames for their sake.

"Go!"

Alice nodded and lifted Rosalie up by her neck, walking both of them out of the room.

Bella was weirded out as her best friend basically dug through her innards, her husband and her other best friend on either side of her, holding her hands. Jacob refused to look away from Bella's face. She felt no pain, as Rory commanded her, but she could see the blood soaking through.

A sharp cry pierced the air as Rory stepped back to hold up a squirming, screeching, bloody hybrid baby. With wide chocolate brown eyes, and a head already full of wet dark hair, the baby girl stared at her godmother with wonder. Rory's stressed expression softened as the beautiful child let out a sharp cry.

She immediately passed the baby to her father, Edward smiled broadly as he held his newborn baby for the first time. His eyes and heart filling with wonder and love as he cradled the baby.

Meanwhile, Rory had already clamped the umbilical cord and cut it. Bella's heart was weakening by the second, they had no time to lose. She proceeded to remove the placenta and began stitching Bella back up as fast as possible. Her hands had become dangerous crimson gloves, but Rory fought through every once of temptation and thirst in focused silence in order to put Bella back together again.

"Wha-is he?" Bella weakly asked, trying to lift her hand up. She had no energy, completely exhausted, and in all truth, Bella knew her time was coming soon, but she wanted was to see her baby first.

"She's Renesmee," Edward declared softly as he placed the bloody baby on Bella's chest, his eyes filled with pure love and joy at his daughter's life.

Bella, even without feeling pain was fatally weak, managed a smile as she looked down at the small blood covered body of her baby girl. She let out a weak murmur, "You're beautiful," as she was flooded with more love and joy.

Bella heard an odd crunch sound and looked down to see Renesmee had bitten her chest. "Oh."

Edward frowned and lifted Renesmee up, he turned back to Bella with a small smile that immediately faded as he registered the lack of life in his wife's expression. She was fading fast, her pulse barely there.

"Bella?"

"Bella!"

The panicking new father turned to the frantic young vampire whose hands had become blurs at the speed she was working. "Rory! What's happening!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I-she won't stop bleeding!" Rory cried out, her efforts to close the wounds futile as only more blood pooled. She looked up from her work to meet Edward's despaired expression, holding his newborn crying child, and helplessly watching his wife's final moments.

"Jacob, take the baby!"

"Get that thing away from me!" Jacob spat out, still refusing to lay his eyes on the child that had killed the girl he loves—loved.

"Oh, shut the fuck up! I-"

Edward shook his head as he stilled Rory's hand with his free one, stopping her frantic attempt to stem the blood leaving Bella's body. Rory met his stare with shining eyes of devastation, hating herself for her incapability to save Bella.

"Rory, you're her godmother, I trust you with her life." Edward swallowed as he looked back at Bella. "We have to save Bella now."

Rory glanced at Bella's limp body and swallowed roughly as she nodded, taking the baby from Edward's arm as the bronze haired vampire opened a nearby drawer and retrieved a giant silver syringe. "Don't worry. You focus on bringing her back to us," Rory said with wet eyes.

Renesmee let out a cry as if she understood what was going on, reaching towards Bella's body. Rory rubbed the infant's back as she sped out of the room. She stopped in the living room, stepping closer to the fireplace's warmth for the child's sake, praying the temperature will sooth the baby's cries for her parents.

"It will all be okay, corazoncita," she cooed, holding the baby close, closing her eyes as she listened to the sound of her best friend fight for her life. "You will see her again, just have hope."

Rory wasn't talking to Renesmee anymore.

➖

word total : 6820+

it is 1:30am and im finally finished w this longass chapter lmaooo

if this chapter gets 50 comments (your opinions, critiques, questions, etc) ill drop the next chapter this weekend :p

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