The Hole In Her Heart by Mick

Well, Lola and I are back. This is going to be another sweet little story. It'll be a little sad, but not for long. Lots of happy times are included too and there's nothing too angsty, more like intense drama. Oh, and there is a happily ever after. A few things before we begin...

Stephenie Meyer owns all these wonderful characters. I promise she will get them all back, slightly worse for wear, at the end of my story.

Thanks to Lola for not only being a good beta, but a good friend - she's my kind of people.

Okay, usually I like Jacob, and I didn't intentionally kill him off in 'Life, Liberty, and a Second Pursuit Of Happiness'. To make up for it, I am letting him live in this fic and I might even have him see the error of his ways at the end.

Chapter 1 – Who's Hormonal?

"Come on Bella, hurry up." Alice whined trying to keep the exasperation out of her voice but was failing at it miserably. "Please try waddling quicker. You know how much I hate being late to anything." Alice tried in vain to hurry Bella along. "All the good tables will be taken and I swear, if you make me late to this shindig, I'll just never forgive you! It took you forever to get dressed today." She spoke the last words with an accusatory tone and a smile.

Bella looked over at her best friend and laughed so hard at the expression on her face that she had to stop walking to catch herself from becoming winded. "I'm sorry Alice. It comes with the territory." Bella reached down patting her very pregnant belly. "You do realize that if you hadn't shown up when you did, I'd still be back home trying to zip myself into this outfit, and might I remind you that you are the one who picked this out for me?"

"I know!" Alice's voice was laced with just a trace of annoyance but then softened. "Sorry Bella. I just can't believe that you of all people were so concerned about your appearance that you almost made us late. That's my role." Alice slowed her steps to match Bella's turtle-like pace. "If you are walking this slow in those shoes I can't imagine what you would have been like in the heels. You're just lucky ballet flats came back in style." She gave an impatient glance at her watch, which Bella caught out of the corner of her eye.

"Relax Alice. I promise we'll be right on time." Bella tried to change the subject on her friend to take her mind off their lateness. "I just can't believe its Labor Day already. Where did our summer go?" Bella asked but didn't really expect an answer. She kept going, trying to distract Alice. "It was sure nice of Victoria to let us bring families to this year's party. Which reminds me, thanks for picking me up. Jacob is working late but he said he will meet us here." Bella looked over gratefully at her best friend.

"No problem whatsoever. I wish I had a family to bring." Alice gave her a nonchalant shrug as if it really didn't bother her that her whole family consisted of the one friend walking at her side. "By the way, you look amazing. And happy." Alice added the happiness part as an afterthought and sighed. "Pregnancy really does agree with you Bella."

Bella ignored Alice's attempt at changing the subject and went back a sentence on her friend. "Hey, what am I? Chopped liver? You are my family Alice. Well, you and Jacob. And if the way I feel today is any indication, our family will be growing very soon." Bella patted her round tummy affectionately, trying to calm the baby inside as she walked. "I hope Jacob's not too tired to meet us here." Bella said worriedly.

"Bella! Could you stop rubbing it in that you have Jacob and I have no one? If he said he'll be here, then he'll be here. Stop worrying so much or you'll get gray hair to go with those new crow's feet around your eyes." Alice was only half-joking. She loved Bella like the sister she never had but always felt her patience slip away where Bella's love for Jacob was concerned. She never completely understood Bella's attraction to him, and she always felt that Bella was too good for him. But she was her best friend and she supported her decision to marry Jacob, even going as far as to keep her lowly opinions of him to herself.

"I'm not meaning to rub it in Alice, you know that. I'm just so happy at this point in my life. Things just can't get any better. I get worried because they say when you get to the top, be careful because the only way to go is down? Well, I'm just afraid that I may be setting myself up for a fall. I just get nervous sometimes wondering if this is all really true." Bella made her way slowly into the hotel lobby to the office party. She saw her husband standing off to the side waiting for her and Alice and waved to him.

"Well, you look beautiful. That deep blue color really does something for your coloring. Don't worry, Jacob will love how you look in that dress. Sleeveless is in after all, just look around you." Alice's arms made a sweeping gesture around the lobby. Bella had to admit that her friend was right. She felt beautiful in the lightweight cotton dress. It draped her pregnant figure perfectly and she loved the deep blue colors mixed with the ivory edges and the lightweight material helped with the pregnancy induced hot flashes she happily endured. She stopped walking as Jacob came up to them and greeted them both lovingly.

"Hi beautiful, and even more beautiful." Jacob said leaning in to kiss Alice's cheek before turning to kiss Bella on the lips as he greeted her.

"Oh Jake. You shouldn't say such nice things to me. Especially in front of your wife." Alice said as she slapped his back playfully, but with a scowl on her face. 'Do it for Bella' Alice thought to herself.

"Thanks for bringing her with you Alice. If I would have gone all the way back to the house and come back again it would have taken a lot longer." Jacob took Bella's arm gently, effectively moving Alice out of his way.

"Oh, it was no problem Jacob. I can always make the time for Bella – she's very important to me." Alice looked over at Bella lovingly and couldn't control the barb that she aimed directly toward Jacob.

"Alice, believe me, you have no idea how much I appreciate you." Bella said, stopping midstride to catch her breath. "Especially all the help you've been lately with me being pregnant."

"Oh Bella, you mean more to me than anything. You are the only family I have ever really had." Alice broke Bella away from Jacob's arm drawing her into a hug, her small arms not quite reaching around her friend's waist.

Bella drew Alice as close as she could. "You know you're my family too right? You mean a lot to me, you know you are definitely part of my real family."

"What do you mean by, 'real family'? What do you call my family Bells? You know everyone in the tribe accepts you as my wife." Jacob's defense went up immediately, as if he was searching for a reason to fight with his wife.

"I know that Jacob. I just mean that they are your family. My family consists of Alice, you and baby Black in here." She rubbed her stomach gently, lovingly. "It will be nice to have my own family around me in my own home. That's all. Please don't argue about this now." Bella stopped Jacob turning to face him, her eyes pleading with him as Alice looked on glaring at them. "Please?" She begged.

Alice walked off in a huff. Why Bella would think its okay for her to have to beg her husband was beyond her comprehension. She walked past a well-dressed waiter carrying a tray of drinks reaching for one as she made her way to the center of the room, lost in her own thoughts. When I fall in love, she thought to herself, I'm not going to settle for anything less than someone who completely worships and adores me. With that, Alice found a half empty table near the middle of the room and went to save seats for Bella and her husband, Jake the dog.

As Bella smoothed Jacob's bruised ego, he took her arm in his. They made their way into the room specifically reserved for Intrigue Interiors. Bella spotted Alice immediately and motioned to Jacob so they could head that way so that she could finally rest her feet. But she wasn't so lucky because as they were walking to the table, they were stopped by Bella's boss Victoria.

"You know Isabella, I don't think you've ever brought your husband to anything before. Why don't you introduce us?" The older woman practically sneered the words to her.

Swallowing her immediate retort of 'you never allowed us to include family before', Bella settled on a more subtle response for her boss. "Oh, my fault Victoria. Victoria Ingram, this is my husband, Jacob Black. Jacob, this is my boss, Victoria Ingram." In her thoughts, Bella added a few choice adjectives that she would have used to describe the woman who signed her paycheck. At the top of the list were conniving and ruthless, plus a couple of four lettered ones that made Bella blush even thinking about them.

"Well, Jacob, or may I call you Jake?" Victoria leaned into him.

"Of course, either name works for me. Just use whichever one comes naturally to you." Jacob almost turned away from his wife completely as Victoria latched on.

Bella sighed and shifted her weight. She was so uncomfortable from the walk that she glanced around toward the table. Deciding that her husband and boss wouldn't miss her, she made her way to where Alice was now talking to one of the freelance designers. She sat down slowly and gently.

"Isabella! You are positively glowing! I'll bet you are almost ready to be done with pregnancy and give motherhood a try." Esme Cullen stood and walked over to where Bella now sat catching her breath and shifting to get comfortable. She smiled as she reached down to hug Bella warmly.

"It's so nice to see you again Esme. I haven't seen you since we finished up the Katrin Conservatory earlier this year. Just a couple of more weeks and I'll be a mom. I'm feeling great but so beyond exhaustion these days. Other than that, I guess I've been lucky that this pregnancy has been very easy for me. I've heard some horror stories that have made my toes curl." Bella laughed as she shifted in her seat gently next to Alice.

"Oh Bella, you are going to be a wonderful mother. Are you feeling nervous about the birth at all?" Esme asked with interest.

"No, I think I have everything pretty well figured out. I know Jacob and Alice will both be there and I am going to try for a natural birth but I want the option for painkillers just in case. I'll be fine." Bella nodded her head and focused on her stomach, her prize. "We'll be fine." She smiled then looked over at Alice who was smiling back at her.

"How do your parents feel about becoming grandparents?" Esme sat next to Bella crossing her legs as she leaned in to talk. She clearly wanted to continue talking about babies.

"Oh, I don't…um, my father has passed away but my mother is okay with it I suppose. She's accepting it, I guess I should say. She still acts like a child herself so I am not sure how far to push the whole grandparent thing with her. What about you Esme? Are you looking forward to grandparenthood in the future?" Bella sipped at a glass of ice water Alice had poured for her from a pitcher on their table. "Wasn't one of your sons married?"

"Well, as a matter of fact, my youngest son Emmett and his wife Rosalie are expecting in January and they just found out they are having twins." Esme's voice was full of excitement as she continued. "Rose has no family to help out in Arizona so they are moving back to Illinois where we can help and pitch in. I am looking so forward to it.

Once she is settled in, I would like to have a get together so I can introduce her to some people; I think you three would really get along. Rosalie is a wonderful person and I'm grateful that she was able to tame Emmett a bit. He was my wild child, you know the one I worried about most. I guess now my worry should be about my other son, Edward." Esme's face clouded with concern.

"Wow, how many children do you have Esme?" With her voice so full of emotion, Alice had to include herself in the conversation.

"Three. All boys I'm afraid and none of them children any longer even though they act like it when they are all together. Jasper is my oldest. Then two years later we welcomed the twins Edward and Emmett. So I know exactly what Rose is going to go through. Edward is milling around here somewhere with my husband Carlisle." Esme quickly scanned the crowded room but her eyes came up empty.

"Would you like to sit with us during dinner Esme?" Bella asked politely, glancing around at the still empty table they occupied.

"Oh thank you dear, but Victoria mentioned she saved a spot for me at the head table. I told her that it should have gone to someone on her staff and not a freelancer, but she insisted." Esme looked both irritated and embarrassed. "I'll have to find Carlisle and Edward and bring them over later to introduce you. Don't leave before I find you again okay? I better go sit down now. You two enjoy yourselves this evening. I'll see you later." Esme stood leaning down to give each of them a hug before she walked gracefully away.

"She's so nice. How do you think she ever got hooked into working so closely with a shark like Victoria?" Alice practically spat the words out.

Neither Alice nor Bella could stand Victoria but since she was their boss and she did have connections, neither one could really say anything bad about her either, out loud that is. Both were grateful that they had jobs at one of the best interior design companies in Chicagoland.

"I don't know. She has such a great sense of style, it's no wonder Victoria latched on to her. I wish you would have worked on the conservatory project with us. She's just a dream to work with Alice. It's no wonder why she can pick and choose her projects." Bella stopped talking as Jacob walked up to the table.

"Well, Bells, thanks for deserting me out there. That woman is something else." Jacob sat down immediately placing his napkin in his lap, eager to get the night over with.

"Sorry Jacob, but I really needed to just sit down. I'm just tired." Bella casually slid her shoes off under the table and flexed her toes and ankles. "Besides, Victoria looked like she wanted your undivided attention." Bella tried to keep her voice even but couldn't quite keep the jealousy from showing through.

"Well, you shouldn't just introduce someone and then leave. That was rude. No wonder she treats you two like that if that's how you behave around her." Jacob gave both Bella and Alice a glare, daring them to protest all the talking they did about Victoria behind her back.

Bella sighed as she sipped her water. "You're right Jacob, I'm sorry. I was just being selfish and wanted to sit down. Thank you for coming with me tonight." Bella was being sincere and it was driving Alice nuts.

"So, Bella, have you been practicing your breathing and stretching?" Alice was desperate to change the topic and nothing made Jacob stop talking faster than baby talk.

Alice slyly kept the conversation on the topic of the baby. Jacob huffed every so often looking completely bored. All throughout dinner he made snide little comments to Bella and Alice, completely ignoring the fact that there were now other people around the table with them. Every time either Alice or another co-worker would ask Bella a question, Jacob would make a remark that would draw stares from everyone seated at their table. Bella would smile apologetically. She hated being caught between her best friend and her husband. As Alice started up an argument with Jacob about the benefits of breastfeeding, Bella became lost in her own thoughts. She was still daydreaming of feeding her own child when Esme tapped her on the shoulder.

By now, dinner was over and people were circulating freely around the room making conversation. She looked up at Esme dreamily before she snapped out of her reverie.

"Isabella dear, I'd like to introduce you to my husband Dr. Carlisle Cullen and my son Edward Cullen." Bella leaned over a bit and awkwardly tried to get up but Carlisle stopped her with a gentle laugh.

"Please, don't get up on our account. It's very nice to meet you Isabella. Esme's told us wonderful things about your work." Carlisle extended his hand. Edward followed his father's example then the three of them sat down in recently vacated seats around the table as the rest of the introductions were made.

For the next half hour, talk centered mainly on babies, babies, and more babies. Jake looked visibly upset as everyone centered the talk around Isabella and the upcoming birth. Edward looked visibly upset that Jacob didn't seem to care or join into the conversation involving his own family.

First he had to deal with his own twin Emmett's news that he was getting married and shortly after that he found out that Emmett and Rose were expecting. Yup, his younger brother had everything he wanted. Not that Edward would ever hold it against Emmett, he was happy for him. Rosalie wasn't the type of girl he would ever be interested in anyway.

But Isabella, Edward found himself more than once staring at her. He thought of the way she lovingly rubbed her swollen stomach during the conversation. He remembered the dreamy look on her face when they first walked up to her. But her husband!

Edward was surprised by just how much he wanted to punch this stranger in the face. What a jerk, Edward thought. Here this guy had a beautiful wife, ready to burst with happiness over the impending birth of her, no…their child, and the chump didn't seem interested at all. Edward inwardly seethed. After making polite excuses about having to answer a call from work, he stood up leaving the group talking at the table. He stood off to the side of the room, near the bar, and tried not to think about the beautiful woman that captured everyone's attention. He could still see her flushed pink cheeks. Every so often, she would pull her hair around her face, as if to hide. It would only be a matter of minutes before her husband would reach over and brush it back. The fact that this man had free reign and could touch her at all made Edward jealous. He instantly disliked Jacob Black and knew from his attention to his wife, or lack thereof, that she was nothing more than eye candy for him.

In the amount of time that Edward was at the table with them, he had pretty much insulted his wife about her dress, the color of it, and the fact that she was showing off too much skin of her upper arm. That last remark made Isabella scramble for her sweater and put it on even though she had commented Esme about having to endure hot flashes only moments before.

As a waiter casually offered him a tray of drinks, Edward grabbed one downing it quickly. He pulled out his phone and checked messages. With any luck there would be a message from work with an emergency on one of his construction sites and he could leave. He shut his phone as he realized that it was the weekend and none of his crews would be out working.

Dialing his twin brother Emmett's number he spoke briefly with him about life in general including his impending move back home. He loved both of his brothers and they were his best friends but lately all Emmett could do was talk about his wife Rose. More specifically Rose and their babies. Or Rose and their move back to Illinois to be closer to his family. As long as the topic included Rose, Emmett was all in.

He knew it was driving a wedge between them, however unintentional it might be. Edward was all kinds of happy for Emmett, but he himself was tired of playing around. His last girlfriend had almost succeeded in driving a permanent wedge between him and his family. She wanted nothing to do with her own family and resented the fact that Edward was so close to his. He hoped that no one else took note of his jealously.

As he watched the small group at the table with fascination he observed as the small pixie girl reached over and rubbed Isabella's stomach lovingly, it didn't escape him that Jacob Black was growing more and more irritated. In fact, it looked to Edward like every movement that the black haired woman made was done with the sole intention of purposefully agitating Jacob. Edward almost smiled at the boldness of the woman's actions. What a freaky little monster, Edward thought as he smiled. He was inwardly cheering for the woman to upset Jacob Black enough that he would leave. For a brief moment, Edward wondered what it would be like to be part of that group. Would her friend accept him if it was he who was sitting in that chair or would she treat him the same as she was treating her friend's husband. That in her eyes, no one would be good enough for her friend Isabella Black.

The thought of friends took Edward's mind to places he didn't like it to wander. They centered on Tanya. She never mentioned children to him, and she never wanted Edward to go out with her and her friends. Did she even have any friends? She never introduced Edward to any of them if she did. When they went out, it was always just the two of them. On occasion, she would be game for going out with his family or some of his co-workers, but overall, she kept him on a short leash. Edward was just grateful she showed her true colors before he could propose. Edward made brief eye contact with his father. He watched as Carlisle excused himself and stood up from the group. As he approached, he casually took two drinks from a tray and walk over to Edward.

"Is everything okay, Edward?" He offered his son one of the drinks.

"Sure Dad, why wouldn't it be?" Edward smiled and gamely took the drink to sip at it. Swirling the red liquid around, he made eye contact with his father, knowing he wasn't fooling anyone.

"Oh I don't know. Someone seems to have caught your eye at that table. A certain someone who has everyone at that table eating out of her hand? I just thought it was strange that you didn't want to enjoy her company as well, even if we do have to put up with her jerk of a husband." Carlisle hid his smirk behind his wineglass.

Edward couldn't believe he actually heard his father right. In all his years growing up, he never heard his father insult anyone. Granted, being called a jerk was on the mild side of the spectrum of words that Edward would have used, but still, for Carlisle to use any sort of insult on anyone was surprising.

"It makes you wonder how people can be so blind. And no, before you even ask, I am not specifically talking about Isabella Black. Tanya had me so wrapped around her finger that I never saw what she was doing to my family. It seems that she's in the same boat. Can she not see how he is treating her? It's sickening that he has a wife, a family on the way, and that's how he treats her? I guess when people say love is blind that this is what they are talking about." Edward finished his drink placing it on a nearby table.

"She may be blind to it now, but I think she's more aware of it than she's letting on. She's due in a couple of weeks and is probably focusing on that. Her friend there seems to be taking every opportunity to upset her husband. I am sure that she's not going to let Isabella forget that her husband's not a very nice man. They seem very protective of each other." Carlisle nudged Edward's arm and nodded toward the table.

Edward caught Carlisle's gaze quickly looking back at the table. He saw the black haired girl staring daggers at Jacob as he moved to fix his wife's hair, yet again.

Something was very not right with that trio. Edward sighed. He could make things right. Her friend seemed very friendly and outgoing. He could get to like her. And Isabella! He could look at her for the rest of his life. He could grow old looking at her face every day.

He thought about how her face would look staring at a handful of children. Children that they had made together out of their love. Get a grip Edward. He chastised himself as he shook his head from his fantasy world. It would never be his; he would never find what he was looking for because as his oldest brother Jasper had pointed out, it just didn't exist.