47 | UNEXPECTED |

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THERE WAS NOTHING WORSE THAN WATCHING SOMEONE YOU LOVED DIE. Rory was no stranger to the feeling, she had experienced it more times than ever expected and each time, it was painful. But maybe now that Rory had some real power, things would be in her favor rather than her misfortune.

While it was risky, the thought of a hybrid baby struck an old, painful chord with Rory and Jasper. There was no question on whether to return or stay away. The Volturi wasn't going to find her anytime soon and Bella's pregnancy was advancing at unprecedented speed. By the time the Volturi figured out Rory returned to Forks, Bella's baby would be born. And Rory was going to do whatever it took to bring that baby in the world—she owed it to herself, Bella, and her own miscarried child who never had a chance.

Tensions were higher than ever with Jasper and Rory's return to Forks. Of course, everyone was happy they came back, but the family was divided over the matter of Bella's baby. Rory and Rosalie had struck up a united front for once, despite their differences in the past, they both wanted the baby to live. Jasper and Emmett took their mates side. Edward was against the infant who he only saw as taking Bella away from him. Carlisle, Esme, and Alice were ambivalent on the situation, more so concerned with Bella's deterioration in health.

Pregnancy was never easy, but in Bella's case, it was a horror show.

Bella was growing weaker the more the baby inside her grew stronger. The baby kicked so hard that it broke bones and bruised Bella blue and purple. She vomited everything she tried to eat, so they had to depend on IV drips for some form of nutrition. She had become practically skin and bones except for the ginormous extended bump.

Most of their days revolved around trying to figure out how to keep Bella and the baby alive. No one wanted to leave just in case everything went wrong. The family's hesitation to go out and hunt meant everyone was hungry. When Bella slept, Rory ventured the woods surrounding the Cullen's home for any animals to bring back to the others, who spent their time trying to figure out what was growing inside Bella.

Freshly fed and having hauled a deer into the garage, Rory entered Carlisle's study, intent on informing her family members that she had brought home dinner where instead she found Carlisle, Esme, Alice, and Emmett either on a laptop or holding some ancient book.

"We're researching vampire babies on the internet?" She leaned over Emmett's shoulder to read his screen. He shot her a tired smile and continued scrolling through the legend about blood-drinking children.

"And books," Esme chimed in from next to the bookshelves as she flipped through the pages of an old journal.

Alice sighed, "We're not having much luck."

"There's not much to go on." Carlisle looked away from his internet browser with a slightly frustrated frown as he locked onto Rory's inquisitive stare. "Aside from Bella...and you...I've never heard of vampires being able to procreate."

Rory bustled at the reminder she once had found herself pregnant nearly a year ago. She inhaled sharply and fixed a neutral expression on her face. "Somehow I doubt Wikipedia has the answers."

Carlisle sighed deeply. "We can't exactly contact our friends." They were all hesitant to involve other vampires in the matter considering the danger rumors possessed.

Rory suddenly remembered she had prime access to one of the oldest and most trusted resources on the planet. "Well...maybe not your friends."

➖

"You're lucky I'm out of the city."

The phone had rung exactly once before the deep, familiar tenor of Alec Volturi's accented voice met her ears. He sounded the same, as though he found everything and everyone a nuisance, which he undoubtedly did. She missed him dearly.

"Yeah, it's a Saturday, I know you would be, I'm not a complete idiot." Rory balanced herself on the top of the roof of the four-story house.

It was cloudy as always, but Rory didn't fear the rain. She was more anxious about the conversation—she hadn't spoken to Alec in about a month since she left Volterra, and she wasn't exactly sure how to proceed with the information she was about to give and what she hoped he had.

He didn't seem to register her stilted tone as he went on with his familiar holier-than-tho drawl. "Well, have you finally seen sense and realized you were far better off with someone closer to your caliber or do you need my help?"

She rolled her eyes. With any other person, she would think they were joking, but Alec didn't know the meaning of the word. "The latter, Alec," she answered impatiently.

"Pity." Rory could hear his smirk over the phone. She rolled her eyes. "Are you in danger? If there's enough time perhaps there's time for me to save you once more, like the good old days," he mused. "Where are you, anyways? Some remote island or something?"

"Actually, I'm in Forks."

There was a long pause on the other end. "I changed my mind. You are a complete idiot," he hissed, "What are you doing there? Do you really want to damn your precious coven?"

"I had to come back, Alec."

"You are so difficult," Alec muttered with a slight groan. "You're lucky that Demetri and Santiago are still running around South America like headless chickens, so I suppose as long as you leave Forks soon you'll be fine."

"Yeah about that..." Rory heard him groan as she spoke, "Okay, before I tell you why, you have to promise to listen to all I have to say before judging or taking any action." She had long learned Alec was a bit of a hothead when it came to her.

"When have I ever done that?"

"Uh, I don't know, does changing me into a vampire against my wishes ring a bell?" she reminded him with a scoff.

"Ah, yes. Thought you let that go, but valid point. Proceed then." Alec hummed. "I'm all ears, as the humans say."

"Okay, well, uh," she scratched her head, "what is the likelihood that you are an expert about vampire-human pregnancies?"

"I'm no expert, but I do know quite a bit about them from the Volturi's archive," Alec revealed knowledgeably.

This was the main thing Rory had been banking on in contacting the vampire. The castle hosted one of the oldest libraries in the world. If there was any information or proof of vampire-human pregnancies, it would be in that library.

"Hybrids are extremely rare and difficult to find since they blend in easier with humans because of their human genes," Alec continued without a break, "South America is the main source of the legends with the Aztec Empire. Savage, brute vampires liked to try and impregnate the virgin sacrifices left for them in the temples the natives built, but most ended up losing control and making a bloody mess for the natives to discover. Some pregnancies were successful and the hybrids were viewed as gods in the Aztec Empire. Too bad they all disappeared."

"Do you know a hybrid?" Rory felt like she had struck gold. Maybe they could contact the hybrid.

"The Volturi has not been directly involved in a case in our reign, so no, I do not know one alive today, but that's not to say they don't exist. They're quite elusive," Alec explained easily enough. He paused, "Wait—don't tell me...Isabella Swan is pregnant?" he guessed with a snigger. That was Alec Volturi's idea of humor.

"Yes," Rory snapped, not finding the amusement in the situation, "the baby's growing faster than any of us thought possible."

"Hybrids have a short gestation period. It will be born within a matter of days if it was a—how do the humans phrase it—a honeymoon baby."

"I assume we shouldn't be checking Bella into a hospital?" she paced the rooftop while pinching the bridge of her nose.

"From what rumors whisper in the wind, it'll be a very bloody childbirth. Try to get it out of Isabella before it does the job itself. And be prepared to feed it as soon as it's out, it's thirst will be great," Alec snickered, "Do have a taste of Isabella's blood for me, I'm eager to know if it is divine as it smells."

"You're not funny, Alec." Rory, partly annoyed by his cavalier attitude and worried for her friend, let out a noise of exasperation. "What are you holding back? You act as though Bella isn't a part of the conversation when she's the one giving birth."

"It's a hybrid—half human, half vampire," He emphasized, "Did you think it would be all sunshine and daisies? Not to be the bearer of bad news, but your friend is already dead."

Rory felt her unbeating heart drop to her stomach. This couldn't be. "What?" She had understood him perfectly.

"I apologize, but Isabella won't survive the pregnancy. She's a human, she's too weak. It will kill her before it even unleashes it's first cry."

➖

Her mind was reeling with the information Alec had dropped on her and she desperately needed to shut it all off. It was when the pungent scent of wet dog tainted the air that Rory knew all hell was really about to break loose. The roar of the motorcycle coming quickly down the driveway sent Rory speeding inside the house to the second-floor living room where she intercepted Edward and Carlisle who were heading towards the stairs to greet Jacob.

"I'll deal with him," she declared, "He absolutely despises you," she said to Edward and then looked over to Carlisle, "And you should be with Bella. Just in case..." the baby breaks something again. She didn't have to voice it for everyone to understand the gist.

Jasper tried to follow after her, but she shook her head as well. "He's bound to say some nasty things to me, can't have you breaking him before I do," she murmured as she descended the stairs.

The tall, muscular, russet-skinned teenage boy with blazing eyes reached the front door just as Rory swung it wide open. His eyes widened in surprise at her unexpected presence. The last thing he heard about Rory was that she had gone back to the bloodsucker royalty cult. No one had informed him of her return to the Cullens, not even his father.

"You."

"Me." She smirked slightly, finding his anger amusing. "It's been a while, Jakey."

"Is it true?" Jacob continued impatiently, his face already twisted into unbridled fury. He swallowed roughly. "Is Bella..."

Rory pitied her stepbrother while simultaneously having no empathy for his distress, after all, he was the one who cut his relationship with Bella off after she chose Edward. But the words that Alec said to her rang in her head...this would most likely be the last chance Jacob had to make amends, to see Bella, it was all of their last chances. Rory was a monster, but she wasn't heartless.

"Use your supernatural senses for once instead of your emotions," Rory rolled her eyes as she waited for him to realize Bella was indeed alive and breathing, for now at least. The guilt ate at her again, and she was glad she had shut off her mind from Edward. He was stressed enough about his wife, he didn't need even more confirmation of her impending death.

In a house full of vampires, the steady, but weak thrum of Bella's heart rang like a drum from somewhere inside. "She's here?" He stormed past her and into the house.

"Oh, sure, come on in," Rory drawled sarcastically as the emotional shifter jolted towards the staircase. She became a blur as she got between him and the first step. He narrowed his eyes, she smiled thinly, clearly trying to stall him. "They came home two weeks ago." She shrugged, crossing her arms nonchalantly. "How's our fam doing?"

Her question didn't do anything to lighten the mood as she hoped. In fact, it did the opposite. He snarled at her, "We are not family, my step-sister died a long time ago. You better stay away from the Rez, bloodsucker. You may be back on the Cullen's diet, but you're still a monster."

Not more than twenty feet away up the staircase and on the second floor of the home, the family of vampires who were all listening had to physically hold Jasper back (and themselves) from interfering on the ugly conversation between Rory and Jacob.

Rory ran her tongue over her teeth, completely over Jacob's unending grudge against her state of being. "I prefer the term immortal, but if you're going to be nasty then so be it."

Instantly, as if a switch flipped, the nice, polite Rory disappeared and Jacob was pushed against the wall, the monster's marble hand gripped his throat as she glared at him. "Listen here, Jacob Black, whatever you came here to do—kill us, kill Bella, kill yourself—it's not going to happen. This isn't some ill contrived drama—this is the real world. We don't have time for your fragile masculinity. Shit has happened in your absence and you are going to have to get a hold of yourself and stop being the self-absorbed brat that hates the world because things didn't go your way that you've been all summer."

Jacob took her harsh words to heart, his demeanor taking to a wounded puppy and Rory the big, bad wolf. "I get it, no one wants me here. I messed up, but I just need to see her, for Charlie's sake at least." He breathed out earnestly.

"Drop the bullshit, we both know why you're here. I'm allowing you to see her because for some odd reason, she misses you I guess," she rolled her eyes, thinking of the amount of times Bella had brought up Jacob in the last two weeks, before narrowing them again, "but, if I hear one word—no, one wrong beat of your heart, one wrong look—you will never be able to speak about or to Bella ever again. I won't even have to lift a finger. Comprendé?"

"Jake, is that you?"

Both Rory and Jacob looked in the direction of the tired, soft voice belonging to Bella. Rory pursed her lips and jerked her head for him to go up. She took a moment to compose herself again. It had been a while since she let out the darkness, even if it was merely a shadow of her true nature.

"I'm glad you came," Bella said happily as Jacob entered hesitantly, his relief at finding her alive and relatively well immediately present on his face.

Rosalie stood in front of the couch, blocking most of Bella from Jacob's sight. "Close enough."

"What's your problem, blondie?" Jacob questioned with a raised brow. He tried to move closer to Bella still.

Rory walked around him to the back window where Jasper stood with his hands behind his back, his handsome face a storm of ire at what he had been forced to listen to.

"Is it wrong that I'm very tempted to break each and every one of his bones again for daring to speak to you that way?" Jasper murmured darkly into Rory's ear as she settled beside him. He glared at Jacob as the shifter approached Bella.

"Just wait, darling. This is going to be good." Rory intertwined her hand in his tighter as they prepared for the explosion.

Bella raised her hand. "Rose, it's okay."

The blonde stood in place, for a moment, it seemed she wasn't going to move after all, but then she let out a exasperated sigh and joined Emmett's side.

Jacob gave the vampires a weird look as he noticed they were basically split. Half of the room, Carlisle, Esme, Alice, and Edward faced Bella, while the other half, Rory, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett stood beside Bella's couch. Evidently, there was some tension and Jacob wasn't going to leave until he uncovered why Bella was in the middle of it.

Jacob sat on the edge of the coffee table with Rosalie out of the way. "You look terrible," he said to Bella with a grin, taking in her pale, dehydrated skin, deep under eye bags, and severe weight loss in the body parts not hidden under the thick quilt.

Bella cracked a smile. "Yeah, it's nice to see you, too."

"So, are you gonna tell me what's wrong with you?"

At this, everyone exchanged a glance. His reaction would be unpredictable. Bella looked to the closest vampire to her, Rosalie who had her icy glare trained on Jacob still.

"Rose, you wanna help me up?" Swiftly and carefully, Bella stood to her feet with Rosalie's aid, but her shirt had ridden up, unveiling the large purple-and-blue giant balloon that was her stomach. She adjusted her shirt with a sheepish expression.

It didn't take long for Jacob to put two and two together. He turned his anger onto the only person in the room he could blame. "You did this!" He started towards Edward, but Emmett halted him, pushing him back with a firm glare.

Bella flinched at Jacob's sharp tone aimed at her husband. Edward said nothing to defend himself, already drowning in self-hatred and agony at what had become of Bella because of the child she carried.

"It takes two to tango, Jacob," Rory said dryly. "Remember what I told you about controlling yourself?" she raised her brow threateningly. Her warning seemed to register in his mind as he reeled in his emotions, breathing in deeply while staring Edward down.

"We didn't know it was even possible," Edward said in a low voice.

"I been told y'all," Rory muttered and Jasper rubbed her shoulders comfortingly.

Jacob's mouth flattened into a tense line. "What is it?"

"I'm not sure," Carlisle said, frowning deeply. "Ultrasounds and needles won't penetrate the embryonic sac."

"I can't see it, either," Alice admitted with pursed lips, "...and I can't see Bella's future anymore." The psychic looked away, resenting her gift for once.

"We've been researching legends, but there isn't much to go on. What we do know is that it's strong. And fast-growing."

And no mother has ever survived giving birth, Rory thought to herself. She hated keeping secrets, but this wasn't something to drop on the family given the timing.

However, she couldn't keep it all to herself, so with some reluctance she stepped up and opened her mouth. "Actually, I contacted a trusted source and found out hybrids aren't as impossible as you think. They stem from legends in South America..."

She revealed all she could about what Alec had told her, with the exception of no human ever surviving the process. They all listened to her with surprised and worried expressions, not even bothering to interrupt and question her source.

"That didn't do anything to prove this is in any ways safe or normal," Jacob growled out after Rory finished speaking. He turned to Carlisle, "Why haven't you done anything? Take it out of her!"

"How much of a senseless asshole can you be!" Rory exclaimed, taken aback by his bluntness and utter disregard for Bella's feelings. "Did you not hear a word of what I just said? Are you blind as well deaf? Or just selfish?"

Jacob glared at Rory, "You just want Bella to go through the pregnancy you couldn't have!"

Rory jerked her head back like she had been slapped, and she might as well been. Her eyes welled up like glass at the harsh judgement despite it's lack in truth. Jasper leaped at the shifter, only to be held back by Emmett.

"This is none of your business, dog," Rosalie snarled protectively, glancing at Rory and Bella who were both rightly upset by Jacob's words. "I think you should leave!"

"All this fighting isn't good for Bella," Esme interjected, trying to be the peacemaker amidst the chaos.

"The fetus isn't good for Bella," Alice corrected her.

Rosalie faced her sister with a glare. "Say the word, Alice. Baby." She glanced at Bella's bump like it was the sun, "It's just a little baby."

"Possibly," Alice shot back.

"Which means it's better we find out now," Jacob interjected darkly. "Last thing we need is another monster," he muttered low enough for Bella to miss it, but not enough for Rory to ignore the insult.

Darkness overtook her, as she practically trembled in anger like a hurricane about to devastate a town. Jacob had the sense to back away as he realized she had heard his comment. It was in that moment, Jacob knew he had fucked up.

"Rory, let's take a walk, sweetheart," Jasper held her shoulders, holding her back from attacking Jacob and soothing her anger. Edward shot Jasper a grateful glance as Jasper led Rory outside the back sliding door.

"Are you okay?"

Jasper had waited for the black emotions that had filled Rory to fade into shadows and wisps. She paced the area of the woods, not far from the house, but not close enough to hear the remainder of the family's conversation.

"I can't stop thinking."

"About Evangeline?" he asked knowingly, wrapping his arms around her.

Rory leaned into his touch, letting his comforting scent surround her like a warm blanket. "How'd you know?" she said quietly into his chest.

"You're my soulmate," Jasper pressed his lips to the crown of her head, "I know you more than myself." He had also been thinking her as well, especially as Bella's pregnancy only grew more endangering. He felt guilty that he felt almost glad Rory didn't end up going through what Bella was, Jasper would probably agree with Edward's view if Rory had been in Bella's current predicament.

"It's just, as much as I hate to admit it, Jacob wasn't exactly wrong," Rory said in disgust of herself, "I love Bella, she's my sister, but perhaps I have been more concerned with the baby's survival than her own."

"Sweetheart, no," Jasper shook his head, "This is what Bella wants, too. It's the reason why she asked for your help, she knows you would do anything to help her and her child, especially when we lost ours. Don't let Jacob's words bring you down when they're not true at all."

"If I had said something sooner, if I had watched my step that night, we would've been in the same boat as Bella and Edward last year," Rory said wistfully, reimagining herself as a human. If she hadn't lost the baby, she would have suffered through a difficult pregnancy, her stomach covered in bruises and her ribs breaking cause of her baby's strength. "By now, our baby would be nearly a year old and I would be dead."

"You would be a newborn," he tried to correct her, pulling her closer. "Just like Bella will be after the baby is born. In a few days, when we look at our newborn niece or nephew and wait for Bella to reawaken as one of us, we will think back to this moment and laugh, sweetheart. I promise it will be okay. Don't lose hope now."

She shook her head. "Carlisle said it himself; he has doubts that venom will be enough to save Bella once she gives birth. And I talked to Alec. He said the same thing in essence. Which means Bella will most likely die before she even holds the baby."

➖

When Jacob came back from the woods only thirty minutes after he had left, with Seth right on his tail, and a panicked "I-fucked-up-again" expression on his face, Rory cursed the fates above.

"Just one day! All I ask for! But no, the universe really has something against my existence!" she groaned as she walked outside to face her stepbrother who had made the situation worse somehow.

Jasper sighed as he followed after his girlfriend. He hoped the chaos would end soon for everyone's sake. They listened to Jacob's revelation that the Pack was coming for their family and Bella's baby with growing anger.

"You goddamn snitch." Rory had finally arrived on scene, where as Edward stayed on the balcony, Rory leaped onto the ground in front of the wolves, her expression a mask of dark fury as she stared down Jacob Black.

"Rory..." Jasper tried to placate her to no avail as he appeared beside her. She was a hurricane, everything in her way would soon perish. And she was heading straight for Jacob.

"I should have made you shut up. But no! We trusted you—they trusted you!" Rory exhaled heatedly, taking a deep breath and landing her eyes on the frightened looking fifteen year old boy behind Jacob. She smiled warmly at him despite her anger, "Hey, Seth, how are you doing?"

He looked a little confused at her brief change in demeanor, and a little terrified of saying the wrong thing. "Hi, Rory, I'm doing well?"

"Rory, it was his thoughts," Edward tried to help Jacob out even if he was angry at the shifter's action's as well, "he couldn't control them from not seeing. He's here to help us now."

She huffed impatiently, "I can control thoughts, too. Why else do you think the Volturi can't track me?" Her glower was black as obsidian, glowing with her dark power, "You should have stayed away."

"Listen," Jacob raised his hands up cautiously, knowing the look on Rory Reyes's face was growing more dangerous by the second, "I'm sorry, okay."

Her eyes blazed with fury that made Jacob take a large step back. "You will be."

➖

small cliffhanger; what do yall think will happen next? will rory fight jacob, will she find some chill?

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