A/N: A huge shout out to all the amazing babes reviewing, favoriting, and signing up for alerts. Your responses keep me going.

The Mountain Goats "love love love"

JPOV

Bella is still out cold, tucked away in the large bed upstairs. Charlotte has been sitting on the foot of the bed, cross legged, watching her intently for hours. I contemplate telling her that Bella could use some space, but think better of it. Charlotte was still brimming with jealousy, anger and fear; I knew some time watching Bella sleep would help her calm herself and hopefully give her some perspective. I have been selfish, there is no doubt of that, but could she blame me? Wouldn't she have wanted as much time alone with them as possible? Couldn't she see that nothing would ever be the same? Couldn't she see that I am nothing without this woman.

The rest of us are gathered around the small kitchen table attempting to hash out a solid plan. We have trouble agreeing on the best course of action. Everyone has an opinion and none of them are the same. Rose is insistent that protecting the baby should be our only focus. Emmet thinks Peter, him and myself should attack as soon as possible and try to surprise Edward and Alice, leaving Bella with Rose and Charlotte for protection. He tries to sway Rose by telling her that getting the threat out of the way before the baby comes will offer him the most protection. I counter that with the Volturi involved it is not a feasible option. Peter believes that our strength lies in numbers, that keeping Bella surrounded by as many vampires as possible is the only way to ensure her safety. He suggests trying to involve the nomads. I refuse to involve vampires I don't fully know or trust with a pregnant human. They are all in favor of relocating to somewhere "safer". I can't help but ask where this safer place is. No one has an answer.

When every opinion has been exhausted we sit in silence. After ten tense quiet minutes I decide I am done with committees and tell them exactly how we will proceed. While it is unfortunate the Volturi are involved and most likely aware of the baby, it is neither unexpected nor a reason to hastily relocate. I always assumed Edward and Alice would recruit help of some sort; even with their abilities they could not take all five of us down on their own. Our strength does lie in our numbers and now that we are all finally together splitting up is not an option. I remind them that Bella's shield although inconsistent is still providing us some shelter; if they knew where we were they would already be here. Moving to a new location doesn't really offer us any extra protection. Plus making a big decision, like moving, is more likely to alert Alice. It makes the most sense to stay put for the last three months of Bella's pregnancy. To stock everything we will need for the delivery and try to remain here, under the radar for as long as possible. I'm surprised when Charlotte is the one to agree with me.

"The Major's right. The ball is in their court." Her voice floats softly down the stairs.

"Then we wait. And when the time is finally right we will fucking destroy them." Peter sums up our plan of non-action perfectly.

It takes a few weeks for everyone to adjust to the close quarters of the cottage. It's hard for me to control my jealousy and protectiveness with everyone wanting to get know and reconnect with Bella. It's unnerving to see each vampire clearly drawn in by my girl and her growing belly. The feelings of awe and commitment push on me from all sides and I have to fight the urge to tell them all to fuck off and leave my family alone. I know I need them all, and I know I need them committed, but it doesn't make it any easier to swallow.

the waves of fear and anticipation help to keep me grounded, though. Every time I find a vampire sitting still as a statue staring into nothing, their emotions push on me, reminding me of what is coming. Without those bursts of apprehension, dread, and frustration I might almost forget the storm brewing on the horizon.

Charlotte and Rosalie instantly fall into caretaker roles and, to my surprise, Bella doesn't resist. It's as though she knows their need to care for her is just as much about them as it is about her and our growing family. It becomes a common sight to see Bella spread out on the couch, one vampire rubbing her feet while the other works on her shoulders. Bella encourages Charlotte to go over in great detail all of the adventures our little coven has ever had. When I question her about it, she just smirks and says something about 'wanting to know how other people see me'. One afternoon I return from hunting with Peter to find Bella holding Rose, sobbing as she recounts exactly what her and Emmet found in the disgusting den where Alice and Edward had been residing. My girl uses the palm of her hand to rub soothing circles on Rosalie's back, but when her eyes lock with mine across the room they burn with loathing and bitter outrage.

I can't help but think eventually Edward will regret every decision he has ever made.

Peter is the only one who doesn't seem to want to smother Bella with attention. Yet I often wonder if he isn't the one with the strongest connection to her. It's as if they manage to understand each other perfectly without so much as a word. I often see them exchanging quick glances from across the room, accompanied by a raised eyebrow or a smirk. They seem to make each other calm and amused at the same time. Yet I feel little jealousy when it comes to Peter, without his encouragement and understanding over the last decade Bella would not be in my life, Victoria would not be dead. It's as though Peter and Bella are truly siblings despite the nearly hundred years between their births.

Emmet, on the other hand, is driving me fucking insane. Spending time with the human who once trusted him so completely has him drowning in guilt over his choices. And Bella seems happy to punish him, letting him stew in his regret and remorse for weeks. I feel pity for the big oaf but I also feel Bella has every right to make her point. She never expected anything from Rosalie, however Emmet had made it clear, time and time again, that he was her family and he had walked away without so much as a backward glance. We were in the cottage almost 3 weeks before Bella finally caves and shows the gentle giant some affection. Bella calls him over, addressing him and using his name for the first time since he joined our group.

"Emmet, would you like to feel him kicking?" Her voice shakes, and I can feel her hurt mixing with her pity.

Emmet nods his head and is beside her instantly. She grabs his giant paw in her tiny hands and holds it low on her bump, just above her pelvic bone. Emmets eyes widen as he feels the movement through her body. When he looks up, at her face I can see the venom pooling in his large golden eyes.

"Bells, I'm so sorry-" His unsteady voice is cut off by her hard firm one.

"It's over Emmet, and I don't ever want to to talk about it." She locks eyes with him until he nods, making it clear he understands.

After that Emmet's affection and attention is nearly constant. On more than one occasion I swallow a deep growl when I find my girl tucked up in his lap, or his head against her bump listening to my boys heart. I might become truly jealous if I didn't know how completely her heart belongs to me. Rose sums it up perfectly one afternoon as she watches me watching Emmet and Bella.

"She has no fear you will leave. It's the complete opposite of everything she had with Edward. She knows with every fibre of her being that neither of you could survive without the other."

"That's the only thing stopping me from ripping his fucking head off." My voice is a quiet controlled growl.

Emmet glances at me with an apologetic smile from across the room. I rub my fist against my eyes and then lean my head on Rose's slender shoulder.

"Just try to remember," she says, "the things you do for love are going to come back to you one by one." Her voice is soft and melodic, almost a song.

I never realized how much I missed my sister. She had been one of the only Cullens to truly understand me. On top of that, she's a fierce bitch, definitely someone you want watching your back. I am relieved to count her among my family once again.

The hardest part of having so many vampires in such close quarters is the lack of privacy. The walls are paper thin and everyone hears every little sound. At first Bella is very self conscious of this fact. She is embarrassed every time she uses the bathroom, and being pregnant that is frequently. Every time we are lying in bed and things start to heat up she remembers our audience and shuts down. I'm frustrated, but I let Bella take the lead. I don't want to push her to do anything that makes her uncomfortable. Plus if the past few months has been any indication, she won't be able to hold out much longer... eavesdropping perverts or not.

Before our guests have been with us for four weeks, Bella caves. She is sleeping, lying in the bed with my arms wrapped around her. I can smell her arousal before she is even awake, her thighs rubbing together trying to find some friction. Her eyelids flutter open and she yawns, looking up at me with hooded eyes. A mischievous smile plays across her lips and I know in that moment that my girl no longer gives a fuck.

She licks her lips and then leans forward and draws my nipple into her mouth. I release a deep moan. She pushes her hand firmly against my shoulder, wanting me to lie flat on my back. I oblige and she immediately moves to straddle me.

She leans down, whispering, "I missed you," before engulfing my mouth in her own. I am so intent on her taste and smell that I almost don't hear Peter's comment from downstairs.

"About fucking time."

I return Bella's kiss, running my fingers through her disheveled hair, shimmering in the weak morning light, and hoping she didn't hear Peter's smart ass remark. I know I am safe when her lips and teeth find my earlobe and I feel her warmth on my abdomen. I lean forward and bury my face in her swollen breasts. I take a deep breath savoring the scent of her salty skin. One nipple rolls between my fingers while the other hardens in my mouth. Her moan comes out as almost a squeak, and I know my horny girl won't last long after so many weeks of abstinence.

Bella pulls away from my mouth and slides down on my body. She works her tongue over the scars covering my skin as she grinds her clit against me, coating my cock in her wetness. She licks and sucks and moans as she traces a trail down towards my pelvis, grinding herself against my legs in the process. She stops when she is hovering right above my hard, throbbing cock, resting on her knees with her belly in the space between my legs. She leans in and runs her tongue along my skin, circling the area I most want her to touch. My cock twitches in anticipation. She drops further down and circles my balls with her tongue, pulling them one at a time into her warm, soft mouth.

Bella moves up to my shaft, softly tugging at my balls with her left hand. Her tongue finds the base of my cock and licks upwards in firm strokes. Once my shaft is practically dripping she runs her tongue along the head, circling and flicking before she finally pulls me deep into her mouth. With her lips wrapped tightly around her teeth she moves down until I hit the back of her throat. She wraps her free hand around the base so she is covering me completely and I moan loudly as I fist my hands in her tangled hair. At first the rhythm is gentle, but then it escalates until I can see her ass and breasts bouncing up and down with the motion. She pushes me so close to the edge that I am worry I may not last long enough to cum inside her.

When I am right on the edge she pulls back, looking up at me with her huge brown eyes and smirking. Her tongue finds me again, coating me with her spit and stroking me in the most amazing way. She shimmies up the bed and pushes her breasts together around my cock. I can see the head of my cock just pushing out between her cleavage and the visual is almost too much for me. I moan incoherent words as she rocks back and forth over me, occasionally bending her head down to swirl her tongue around the head of my cock.

Bella moves up my body again, reaching over me and grabbing the headboard for support. She reaches down between us and whimpers as she slides down onto me. When she begins to rock I place one had on her hip for support and I cup her breasts, squeezing them tightly together with the other. She leans forward, her belly pushing firmly into me as she grinds against me. As her pace increases I move my hand from her hip, dropping my thumb between us and pressing it against her sensitive clit.

Both of her hands are on the top of the headboard, her head thrown back, hair cascading down her back. Her breasts bouncing and heaving above me. I hear her breath catch in her throat at the same moment I feel her cum dripping down onto me and I am hit by the force of her pleasure. I sit up, burying my head in her breasts and pulling her down firmly onto me as I release into her with a growl.

I fall back and she collapses on top of me, her hard bump wedged in between us. A minute later the sound of a tree snapping outside pulls Bella out of her blissful reprieve.

"What the fuck is that?" Bella's voice is calm, but fear is taking over the pleasure she was feeling only a moment ago.

"Nothing to worry about," I assure her. "Just Emmet and Rosalie letting off a little steam. I think I may have been projecting a little bit."

Bella is quiet for a second as she listens thoughtfully to the ruckus outside.

"Peter and Char?" She questions.

"Peter didn't last that long sweetie. He lost it around the time you were titty fucking me."

"Oh, poor Char." Bella feigns real concern before she bursts out in laughter.

Peter's voice drifts up from downstairs,loud enough for us both to hear.

"You two jokers can go fuck yourselves."

"Obviously that is no longer necessary, Brother." My voice is loud and cocky, my eyes memorizing the way Bella's breasts jiggle perfectly when she giggles.

After the fifth week, Emmet has what he describes as a brilliant idea. He knows Bella misses painting and art so he returns from Ottawa one afternoon with the truck bed full of art supplies. Multiple easels, canvases, palettes, brushes and paint. We all stare with raised eyebrows as he sets up 6 identical painting stations in the living room. When he is finished he turns to us and announces proudly that he has eleven seasons of The Joy of Painting on DVD.

Bella laughs uncontrollably pointing at Peter and almost choking.

"I bet you just fucking love to paint!"

Peter's only response is an extended middle finger. But he paints, again and again just like the rest of us, because it makes Bella happy. After a week every inch of wall space in the living room is covered with slight variations of the same landscape oil paintings. After two weeks we have worked out way through more than eight seasons and Emmet and Peter appear slightly intoxicated every time we start a new episode; who would have guessed my brother was really a repressed artist. Eventually Rose threatens to break every paint brush and palette knife in the cottage.

"If one more of these retarded assholes mentions a happy little bush to me they are getting a cock punch," Rose announces to the entire house, extending a long, manicured finger threateningly at Emmet and Peter.

"Babe, you don't mean that. Bob Ross is God. Fuck Monte's water lily's, they have nothing on Bob Ross's happy little bushes." Emmet is giddy, willing to take any punishment from Rose because Bella is happy.

"I really wish Em had never found out about PBS," I sigh defeatedly.

I can't tell what Bella enjoys more, the actual painting, the group activity, or just watching us all being goofy. But my girl is in good spirits. My family is happy.

BPOV

It's hard to believe we haven't always been together. That I had another life before this. Even though we are all waiting for the other to shoe to drop I have no doubt this has been the happiest time of my life. The six of us somehow seem to perfectly complement each other, a perfect fucked up little family. In the back of my head I know this is too good to last. Some nights when I'm lying in the dark I start to think about what will happen next; sweat beads on my brow and my limbs start to shake. Jasper never says a word, he just buries his face in my hair and holds me tight again his chest until the only thing I can think about is the feeling of his cool body wrapped around me.

I haven't left the property since everyone congregated here, yet time still slips quickly by. Before I know it there is snow on the ground and every time I look in the mirror I stare in shock at the size and shape of my own body. There is a constant ache in my hips and lower back, like I can actually feel my joints loosening and making room. My gate has devolved into a sad, slow waddle and my feet are so swollen I had to send Charlotte and Rose to buy me shoes in a bigger size. I can't believe that I still have over a month and a half to go. I feel like I have been pregnant forever.

I agreed to a small Christmas celebration as long as no one made a huge deal out of it. I want to believe we will all have many more Christmas's together in the future. Yet I can't help but feel overwhelmed as Jasper leads me down the stairs into the living room, lit only by the soft glow of Christmas lights. The tree is fresh, Emmet and Peter had spent hours finding a perfect one the day before. The decorations are simple and understated, just the glowing lights, tinsel and glass balls frosted in various shades of white and cream. There is a small pile of presents laid out under the tree, and I have no doubt I will be opening them all. But what is most overwhelming to me is spread around the room, all of the people I love; my family.

Jasper sits on the couch and pulls me into his lap. He cradles my huge belly in his hands, as he rubs his nose in my hair. Everyone has a goofy smile on their face and I know Jasper is absorbing and projecting the feelings of hope and contentment. I sip on a glass of eggnog as Rose and Char pile all of the presents around me and then encourage me to start unwrapping.

I can't help the smile that spreads across my face as I open the gift on the top of the pile. I pull the paper back to find a small canvas, this one is not a landscape. It's a painting of Jasper and I standing on the dock, hand in hand with the sun setting behind us. I look at Peter but I can't find the words I'm looking for.

"See, I'm not always a douchebag," He says. His voice is light and joking but he locks eyes with me, offering a small nod.

I feel like I am almost drowning in the love swirling around me. I return Peter's nod and wipe at my eye with the back of my hand. My emotions are in overdrive and I don't know how I will make it through all of these presents. I reach for the next one and am relieved when I extract a piece of fabric. I unfold it to find a tiny, soft, white onesie. I hold it up, entranced by how small it is; I can't even imagine a person small enough to fit it. I don't notice the tears streaming down my face until Jasper's cold fingers are wiping them away.

"Shhhhh. Sweetie are you ok?" His voice is quiet, right behind my ear.

"I…" I gulp for air. "How can I…" I stumble to my feet, barley catching my balance.

I can't stop looking at the tiny little piece of clothing. As if this one thing has finally made the last 8 months real. My hands are shaking and every pair of eyes is focused on me.

"How can I do this?" My voice is panicked, almost sobbing. "I want him to be safe how can I bring him into this? What the fuck is wrong with me? How is this the best thing?"

The words are rushing out. I'm fighting to keep from pulling down my shield in my panic. I'm shaking and everything about my body feels foreign. For the first time I truly try to wrap my mind around this baby's future. There will be no grandparents, or vacations to disney world, or parent teacher interviews. I feel the walls pushing in on me and I have no idea what to do. Six faces are staring at me in complete confusion. All of a sudden Rose's voice, quiet and calm breaks the silence.

"We will do whatever you want. If you want something else for him we can arrange it. We can find a family, whatever you want."

The thought of giving him away hits me like a weight in the chest. The tears are streaming down my face, snot running from my nose and I am gasping for breath. I have no idea what I want.

"Everybody get the fuck out of here!" Peter's voice is so hard it snaps me out of my meltdown.

He is standing and he is pissed. His eyes are black and he is glaring fucking daggers at Rosalie. I turn to face Jasper behind me and the devastated look on his face almost knocks me down. All of the vampires are standing now and no one seems to know what to do. My sobs grow even louder.

"I told you all to get the fuck out! Someone needs to finally have an honest conversation with this girl." Peter's words are followed by a deep growl.

I'm not sure who Peter is angry at, but I am nervous. One by one my family walks out the front door. Jasper is the last one to leave, pushing out a wave of love and adoration before closing the door. The look on my lover's face wrenches my heart and I collapse onto the couch with a strangled sob.

PPOV

Bella is bent forward, sobbing with her head in her hands. I can hear the four vampires standing outside, no doubt listening closely. I take a moment to organize my thoughts. I know I am straining Jasper asking him to leave for this and I do not want to make anything worse.

"Feeling a little stressed out, Kid?" I sink down next to her.

She doesn't answer. Just sniffles, and looks at me like I'm the stupidest motherfucker on the planet.

"I can't even imagine how it feels to be you right now. To say you have a lot on your plate would be the biggest understatement of the century. I know you want to do the right thing for this baby... we all do. And thats why I'm not going to sugar coat anything. I am going to tell you the truth. Despite what Rose said, you don't have a lot of choices."

Her sobbing has stopped. Her red ringed eyes stare at me from behind her tangled hair.

"The Volturi want this baby, he has amazing potential and he is not something they will overlook. You could give him away, but it won't make him safe. They would search the ends of the earth to find him. If you give him away he would never, ever be safe. We are the only chance he has."

She swallows thickly before she speaks.

"But how do I, in good conscience, bring him into this?"

I pace the room as I try to find the right words to express the thoughts that have been running through my mind for weeks now.

"Well... I think you just have to consider that this child was never destined to live a normal life. That he is in fact destined to be a vampire. One that might very well change everything about our society. He will be stronger, more resilient, and more prepared than any that have come before him."

Bella is staring at me now. She has pushed her hair behind her ears and I can almost see the wheels turning in her head. Part of me wants to slap my stupid brother across his ignorant face for not having discussed this idea with her months ago. I know he wanted to leave her free to make her own choices, but the woman needs some good damed guidance.

"Destiny?" She exhales the word like she isn't entirely sure what it means.

"You believe in vampires. Why not destiny?"

"What do I do?" Her voice is hopeful, and I know that Bella finally has faith in our plan.

I know Jasper must have felt the conviction and certainty I can see in her eyes. He is through the door and wrapping his arms around her before I can answer.

"Be ready... and be brave."