Chapter twelve

Edward didn't have dinner with his family on Christmas morning but spent the night lounging on his couch with Bella, the two of them eating take-out and watching The Polar Express and several Harry Potter movies.

He wasn't about to complain as it was the best Christmas he had had in ears, doing nothing with someone he loved, no need to dress up in fancy clothes and behave a certain way. It was refreshing to just be and do nothing for Christmas.

Esme, the understanding mother she was, had complained at first that Edward hadn't showed up for their Christmas dinner, but when he informed her that he had spent the day with Bella, it had been ok.

However, as New Years came and went, Edward started to notice that Bella was behaving strangely. He noticed it the first time when he had casually invited Bella to a party with a few friends and his family, but he had thought nothing of her declining at first.

Then, after returning back to work after lazy holiday, Edward noticed how Bella snuck away from her desk now and then, how she stopped drinking coffee and how she looked as if she was holding her breath whenever she brought a cup to him.

It wasn't only he who noticed it and soon, gossip was going around the office like fire through dry grass.

In the end of January, a blizzard hit Boston and schools closed down, roads closed and people started to hamster food as if the blizzard would last forever.

Besides the icy, wet and cold sidewalks, angry cab drivers who hated the fact that they still had to work in the horrible weather, Bella enjoyed the weather, enjoyed watching it fall as she sat in the office and worked, enjoyed watching it fall as she sat curled up in front of the TV.

Everything seemed to fall into place as time went by. Her feelings for Edward was stronger than ever after spending Christmas with him, just being with him and doing nothing. Courage was slowly building up but Bella knew that she had to tell Edward before she had the courage or it would be too late.

In the middle of the blizzard, a day came that made everyone believe that the bad weather was finally over, the snow stopping and the sky showing hints of blue behind the thick layers of grey clouds. Bella felt that like that day as she sat in Edward's office, going over his calendar once again.

She had decided to come clean to him, give him time to think about the information she had just given him, and hope that he wouldn't curse her to hell and back. However, she was slowly changing her mind as everyone, especially Edward, was acting strange, giving her strange looks.

When she had first turned up that morning, she had had to escape to the bathrooms to inspect her outfit. During Christmas, her body had changed even more and nothing she owned fit her body like it had done. Fortunately, she had managed to cover up her stomach enough for anyone to notice.

A thick wool cardigan hid her stomach and a bright neckless drew the attention from her stomach to her slight cleavage.

"If you leave an hour earlier than planned, I think you will make it in time for the meeting tomorrow," Bella said as she quickly scanned over the calendar to see if there were any other important meetings the next day that would clash with the one at two.

"I'm sure you're able to figure everything out," Edward smiled but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Why don't we have a coffee break? I sent Sherry out for the best coffee money can buy."

"I'm cutting back on coffee: it keeps me awake at night," Bella lied easily through her teeth just as Sherry announced her arrival.

"One cup early in the day won't do any harm," Edward smiled again as he accepted the cups of steaming hot coffee from Sherry.

Bella accepted it when he handed it over to her but one sniff of the coffee had her stomach churning and the longer she held it, the harder it became to keep the bile down.

Jumping to her feet, Bella rushed to Edward's private bathroom in his office and threw herself over the toilet. The second she had smelled the coffee, Bella had known that hiding her pregnancy from Edward any longer would be impossible, but she had hoped to tell him in a different way.

"So the rumors are true," she heard Edward say from behind her and Bella groaned into the toilet.

"That I'm pregnant? Yeah, they're true," Bella sighed, turning to sit on the ass that felt as if it was getting bigger with every mouthful she ate with food.

"And you were going to tell me when?"

"When I had the courage but it turns out, I don't have enough courage to do so. I was planning on doing it today but I guess I don't have to anymore."

"And how far along are you?"

"Three months. This little thing is expected somewhere in July," Bella patted her stomach gently.

"That gives me six months."

"Six months to do what?"

"To take back what you tried to keep away from me." Then he turned on his heels and walked away.

*** C R S ***

Edward filed for full custody and Bella refused to sign any papers that were presented to her. In the beginning of March, Edward brought it to court and Bella realized that she needed to a lawyer who was as bold and though as Edward.

In desperation, Bella sought out Phil and confessed of Edward and hers office affair and how that the said affair had led to more, and in the end, an unplanned pregnancy. Bella didn't hold back anything and told Phil everything she had on her heart, explaining how she had been scared and not told Edward until the rumors had started to circulate the office.

It was not a happy Phil that rose from his chair and walked around the desk, arms crossed over his chest.

"You do realize Bella, that I will have to let you go as the office have an absolutely no toleration policy when it comes to affairs with a co-worker?" Bella nodded and swallowed a lump before testing her voice.

"I know, but I want you to take into consideration that this so called affair started during the summer, before I started working here, and I didn't know who Edward was until my first day working for him. I made it clear that day that I had no plans in continuing our affair but the heart wants what it wants."

"The heart wants what it wants?" Phil sat down in the chair next to Bella and took her hand in his. "Bella, be honest with me, do you have feelings for Edward?"

"There's more than just silly feelings," Bella laughed as she started to cry, "I'm in love with him and I've ruined any possibility to earn his love. He hates me and he wants me to hurt, and take what he believes I tried to take away from him. I can't loose my baby."

"No mother should have to give up her baby when there's no other reason than mistrust," Phil murmured and Bella felt a small comfort from his words. "Call Emmett McCarthy. He works for our San Francisco branch and he's the only one who will be able to take on Edward with a possibility of winning."

*** C R S ***

Emmett proved himself to be able to take on Edward with ease during the very first meeting where the two parts would hash out any solutions that could please them all.

Edward, who was presenting himself with an intern to talk his side, offered Bella to see their child when it was born, twice a week, if it fit into Edward's schedule, but Edward would hold sole custody.

Emmett had slammed his fist in the table and refused the offer, letting Edward know that Emmett was ready to fight hard, even dirty if he had to.

The meetings didn't get them anywhere and only a few weeks after their first meeting, Edward brought it all to court.

"Just remember Bella, we're not screwed, not yet, but we're not winning either. At the moment, the whole thing is fifty-fifty." Emmett was sitting at Bella's brand new kitchen island, papers covering the perfect walnut worktop.

The island was a catch, a catch Bella regretted buying as she no longer had a job to pay for the rest of the decoration for her apartment. The money from selling Charlie's house had financed the apartment and made it possible for her own it instead of renting, but she needed to save the rest.

Phil had given her two months paid leave if she walked the same day after talking with the senior partners in the firm. They knew, as well as Bella, that they couldn't really fire her for having an affair with a coworker but Bella had agreed with them that if she worked in the same building as Edward, they were bound to walk into each other while the case was open.

Bella decided that she had enough fights going on, so she took what she got, along with a promise from Phil that none of it would be revealed to a future employer, as she wasn't the only one at fault.

She had enough money set aside to live somewhat comfortably for at least six months after the birth and Emmett, who had become a good friend, had offered to move in with her, rent the spare room, if she ended up finding herself in a pinch.

Anything economically that could put Bella in a bad light, Emmett had decided that they would keep to themselves and rather bring them out only if the information were beneficial for them.

"Em," the sigh coming from Bella was deep as she heaved herself up from the chair she had been lounging in, her stomach at six and a half month starting to become harder to carry. "Can we call it the night? Tomorrow is the first day in court and I would like to look like something more than a sleep deprived pregnant woman."

"But you are a sleep deprived pregnant woman because you're constantly going to the bathroom, as your bladder is the size of a grape," Emmett kindly pointed out as he gathered together everything he would need the next day to bring Edward down to his knees.

"I know. It will be hell spending days after days in a courtroom where there's only one appointed break," Bella rubbed her sleepy eyes. "Can go through your plan just one more time before you go?"

"I thought you wanted me up and out, but okay," Emmett couldn't hide his small smile.

"Well, the faster you talk, the faster you'll be out of here," Bella smiled sweetly as she joined him at the island.

"We're going to start simple, make Edward believe that we know we can't win this. I want him to tell the jury why he's putting you through this, a pregnant woman who's carrying his child, a woman who needs rest and caring, not stress and accusations. Step by step, I will have him telling why he will make a better parent than you, then jump in a point out his faults. He has enough faults to make the jury believe that he won't be a suited alone parent: bringing Edward to his knees will be easy."

"Ok, I don't know anything about law, I'm only a secretary, nothing more, so good plan," Bella smiled and gave Emmett thumbs up, making him laugh as he gathered the rest of his papers.

At the door, Bella hugged Emmett as the good friend he had become and she felt safe as he hugged her just as tightly back.

For a week, Bella hadn't walked into Edward in the hall between their apartments but it was just her luck to see him when she opened the door to let Emmett out. The sound of the elevator told Bella that someone had just left his apartment and she saw a flash of blond hair before the elevator doors closed.

"See you tomorrow," Bella murmured and gave him another hug before rushing inside her apartment, locking it and leaning against his, letting the tears fall.

She had never been in love before but she had never thought it would hurt so much to see the person you love look at you with such hate and regret.

AN: I think she's too much of a push-over in this chapter, but is it working? Please tell me it's working because I don't think I can rewrite without making it worse.