Chapter 4: Getting Prepared

Chapter 4

EPOV

I was floating and it felt exhilarating. I was on a beach, staring up at a beautiful cerulean sky; the warm rays of sun heating my skin. My skin felt flushed and I felt a cool sensation brush over me soothing away the warmth's traces. I have no clue where this sensation is coming from and I turn my head to see that Bella is beside me, a grin planted upon her beautiful face.

My eyes roam slowly over her body. She is dressed in a lovely midnight blue bikini, my favorite color on her. I start at her feet; so small in comparison to mine. She wiggles her toes making my eyes shift to her long porcelain legs; crossed at the ankle, the sun seeming to give them a soft glow.

I hear her giggle and my eyes shoot up towards her face. Her blue and brown eyes are dancing in amusement as she watches me, her grin turning into a beautiful smile. My eyes continue to roam, slowly descending down towards her chest, the swells of her breasts so tantalizing and full that I lick my lips. I continue my viewing trail, my eyes shifting downward to her curvy stomach that was flat. Flat?

I stare at her stomach in bewilderment. Bella is supposed to be pregnant, yet her stomach shows no sign of it. Why was she not pregnant? Where was our baby? Did we lose it? I look up at her panicked and she just laughs, her eyes not focused on me, but on the sandy distance, her eyes trained on the waves as they crash upon the shore.

I wonder what she's looking at, but I can care less. My mind is going a mile a minute, solely focused on the whereabouts of our unborn child. However, a plethora of cries stops my mental questioning.

I look out towards the same direction that Bella is looking and I watch in awe as six small figures begin running towards us. They are far off in the distance; too far for me to distinguish their faces as their little laughter fills the air. I look back over at Bella to see that her warm smile is back in its place. She gives me a gentle look, before looking back out into the distance at them. They are getting closer and her eyes never stray from their little bodies. It suddenly hits me.

"They're ours aren't they?" I whisper and she nods her head. The little bodies of our children are still running towards us and it won't be long before I can see their faces. The cool sensation prickles my skin again, and I turn to see Bella inches away from my face. I can feel her breath blow across my skin.

"Wake up." she whispers and I look at her in confusion. What did she mean? This was not a dream, it couldn't be. It was too perfect. I'm just about to vocalize my thoughts, when she blows across my skin once more and this time the smell of Kibble and Bits overwhelm my senses.

Kibble and Bits?

"Jerry!" I screech at the little dachshund that has decided to make a meal of my face. He gives me one final lick across my face before scurrying off the bed and out the room. I sit up in bed and rake my hands across my face.

It was the fourth night I had, had this dream and only five days ago that we received the news; we were going to be parents of sextuplets. That dream has been haunting me lately. I would always see my kids in the distance, but never close enough to see their actual faces, yet alone what their gender was.

After I woke up from my embarrassing fainting spell, we were given a few ultra sound pictures and a prescription for some prenatal vitamins. We were to come back next week so they could run a few tests. It wasn't every day that there was news of someone having sextuplets.

I knew the risks; being the son of a surgeon and working in the pharmaceutical business definitely made me acquire a bit of medical info. High blood pressure, pre- eclampsia, etc. etc. the list went on. I knew I would probably have to speak to my father a bit on Bella's care.

When it was time to go, Bella wouldn't even look at me. I knew she was scared about the way I reacted, when I should have been the one to comfort her. She must have been scared for herself; she held six little lives inside of her and me fainting wasn't going to help anything.

I didn't even know if Bella was angry with me or not. She was deathly silent on the ride home and fell asleep immediately after we got home. She seemed fine these past couple of days, but I could always see the underlying questions hidden in her eyes. She was just as afraid as I was.

We still had yet to talk about our plans. We hadn't even decided when we were going to tell our parents, although I figured we would tomorrow at my parents little gathering.

There were still too many questions left unanswered and words left unsaid. I looked over to my alarm clock to see it was about ten at night and Bella wasn't beside me. I quickly got out of bed. The house was slightly chilly since Bella had been experiencing a few bouts of hot flashes. I threw on a t-shirt before padding down the stairs in search of Bella.

She was sitting in the living room on the couch, Jerry beside her, watching Titanic on the TV. She was munching on a bowl of peanut butter Cap N' Crunch; her recent craving, her eyes trained intently on the screen.

The movie had just gotten to the scene where Rose lets Jack's hand go, when Bella lost it. She broke down crying, and I quickly went over to console her. I quietly picked her up and laid her in my lap. She grabbed a fist of my shirt, pressing her face against my chest.

"Shh, it's okay." I cooed, rocking her back and forth.

"No it isn't, why does Jack have to die? They were perfect for each other." she sobbed. I pressed a kiss to her temple. Bella loved this movie and had seen it numerous times. When this scene occurred, she would usually let out a few tears, but not to this extent. I blamed it on the hormones from the pregnancy.

"Love, it's a part of life. We all die." I answered, and she just cried harder into my chest. Shit. I need to fix this immediately. I carefully chose my next words.

"Uh, but love. They're together in the end, remember; when she dies." I say, and feel a surge of relief when her cries turn into soft whimpers.

"Oh yeah, I forgot." Bella sniffed wiping her face and nose on my shirt. Now if this was anyone else, I would be thoroughly repulsed, but this was my wife and she could snot and cry all over my shirt if she wanted to.

"I'm sorry. I'm being so hormonal and look I've ruined your shirt." Bella breathed against my chest. I rubbed her back soothingly.

"It's okay." I answered, pressing my nose into her hair, breathing in her sweet scent. We sat there in silence, Jerry resting on my feet as the television continued to play in the background. As much as I wanted to speak to Bella about our plans for the future, I decided we would do it another time. I wanted to spend this time with my wife, where we could spend this moment in peace, before our life became any more hectic than what was to come.

BPOV

I still can't believe Edward fainted. When I saw him tumble to the ground like that, I've never been more scared in my life. I couldn't even blame him; I was in just as much shock as he was. Dr. Gerandy and Dr. Berty both helped pick Edward off the floor, as I was in no condition to do so. I was still frozen in shock. They sat him down in a chair and it was about ten minutes later when he regained consciousness. He apologized vehemently, but I just shook my head at him. I wasn't mad at him, not even in the slightest.

After they made sure we were both okay, they gave us a few ultrasounds of our six little miracles, a prescription for vitamins and an appointment for next week, so we could really see how far along I was. Not only that, but I had to go through a few tests to make sure my pregnancy was progressing safely. The risks for me being pregnant were ten times worse than of an average pregnant woman and I knew I had to be extremely careful if I wanted to keep the babies safe. I knew pulling to full term was probably out of the question so I had to keep my spirits up if I wanted to deliver safely.

The doctors told me that Edward was in no condition to drive, so I opted to drive us home. The ride home was silent. I just couldn't find the words to speak and neither did Edward. When we got home, I was just mentally and physically exhausted. I knew Edward probably wanted to talk about what happened, but I just wanted to go to sleep.

The next few days were pretty much the same. It felt like we were both walking on eggshells; neither one of us knowing what to say or do. It was when Edward comforted me last night that I knew we had to talk and talk soon.

…..

Today was the big day. We were going to tell our family and friends the big news. Sunday dinners and gatherings at Esme and Carlisle's were a big deal. Everyone came; the kids usually playing in Edward's old playroom, the guys in the living room watching football, while the females usually gossiped in the kitchen or out on the patio.

We were on our way over, and I knew Edward was just as nervous as I was. We were running behind, considering I had a mini breakdown this morning when none of jeans would fit. I knew it was coming, but I didn't think so soon. Edward had to console me for a whole twenty minutes, before I stopped crying.

I still didn't have any maternity clothes yet, and it was too cold to wear a skirt or dress. I had to, much to my embarrassment, leave my fly undone, and was glad that I had decided to wear a long blue sweater that Edward said proudly showed off my baby bump. We were approaching the outskirts of Forks when Esme called stating that she needed us to pick up a few things for her so she could finish dinner.

Edward pulled into the parking lot of the town's market and we both got out. He grabbed my hand and gave me a look, clearly stating that I shouldn't try anything while we were inside the store. Lately, I had a habit of making Edward go to the store to get me the foods I wanted, often at the late hours of the night, only to not want it once he got home. It wasn't my fault it looked appealing on television, but disgusting once I got it.

We walked hand in hand throughout the store, waving to a few familiar faces as we went. After Edward picked up what was needed, we headed towards the checkout line. I was actually proud of myself that I managed to make it throughout the store without picking up anything. There were only a few lanes open and we headed towards one with about two people in it. It was almost our turn to check out when I saw it.

A little boy, who looked no more than six, was munching on a pickle. That pickle looked so delectable and juicy that I could taste it in my mouth. I was just about to ask Edward if I can have one when I saw the mother load behind him; a jar of pickles. Right in my line of view.

My mouth instantly began watering, at the sight of those juicy morsels. I heard my name being called, but I couldn't focus. My mind was set on that jar of pickles. Edward caught my line of sight and began shaking his head. I turned to him and put a pout on my face. I made my eyes water and I could see that I was breaking him. Call it a shady move, but when a pregnant woman wants something, she wants it.

"Please." I pouted, making my lip quiver a bit.

"But baby, are you sure you want it because you actually want it or just because you see someone else with it?" Edward sighed.

"I really want one." I smiled, and he nodded his head in defeat. I nearly had to stop myself from squealing aloud.

"Fine, I'll get you a pickle." Edward said, telling the cashier to hold on for a minute.

"Pickles." I quickly answered, and he looked at me in confusion.

"Pardon?" Edward said. "You said pickle. I want pickles, as in more than one, please." I grinned, blinking my eyelashes flirtatiously at him. He looked dazed for a moment before shaking his head.

"You dirty little vixen. Be right back." he muttered, before heading over to grab me a jar of pickles. He quickly returned and paid for the rest of our items.

While Edward was putting the bags in the trunk, I all but snatched the jar of pickles from his hands. He chuckled at me and I threw him a glare. He immediately ceased his laughter. When we got in the car, I didn't even bother putting my seatbelt on, I just wanted a pickle and the damned jar wouldn't open. I was just about to smash it against the dashboard in frustration, when Edward grabbed it from my hands.

"Easy love." He said, wrapping his hands around the top of the jar, turning it off with ease. I reached out my hand for it, but he pulled it out of my reach. I gave him a pointed glare and if looks could kill, Edward would be ten feet under now.

"Seatbelt first." he said sternly. I huffed, rolled my eyes, and did as I was told before he handed me the jar back. I grabbed one out with a napkin before closing the jar and settling it in my lap. Edward started the car and headed towards the road that led to his parents' house.

I brought the pickle to my mouth and moaned at the taste of it. It was just as good as it looked. I took another bite and moaned as it slid down my throat. I could see Edward shuffling a bit in his seat, but paid no mind. I took another bite and moaned.

"Bella." Edward whined. I gave him a confused look.

"What?" I asked.

"Don't moan like that. It's very distracting." he breathed and I saw him adjust himself. I felt a smile spread across my face.

"But it's so delicious." I said innocently, leaning over the console to give him a bite. He took a small bite, a slight trail of juice trickling down his chin. I used my index finger and wiped away its sticky trail before putting it in my mouth, sucking on my finger teasingly. I saw his eyes darken and hands tighten on the wheel to the point his knuckles were beginning to turn white.

"Bella," He said in a tight voice. We're already late. Please don't make us any later than we have to be." he said in a strained tone.

"I have no clue what you're talking about." I grinned, as we pulled up outside of his parents' house. The driveway and lot were packed already and I saw a few unfamiliar cars.

Edward helped me out of the car before retrieving the grocery bags from the trunk. We went through the side of the house where we saw our moms, the girls and kids jumping on the trampoline.

"Bella!" They all cheered, Alice first grabbing me in a hug. Edward just waved giving a kiss to Esme before going inside. I gave them all hugs and was surprised to see Victoria, Jessica and Lauren there. We weren't enemies by any means but we certainly weren't friends. Their moms were here as well, including Leah's mom Sue, Rosalie's mom Charlotte and Alice's mom Mary. I sat down beside my mom and her eyes focused immediately on my protruding stomach.

"God Bella, I just seen you less than a week and a half ago and you're already a size bigger." My mom gasped, and I gave her a pointed glare.

"Sorry." she said sheepishly. "It's cute." she grinned.

"Bella, what happened? How did the ultrasound go? How's my little grandchild, godson or daughter?" All of their voices asked at the same time. I raised my hands.

"Jesus. I know you all have questions, but so I don't have to repeat myself, you guys will just have to find out later with everyone else. It's a surprise." I answered and let out a small chuckle at their groans of disproval.

"But I hate surprises." My mom moaned and I figured that's where I had gotten that trait. She hated surprises just as much as I did.

We talked for a bit and I was feeling a little hungry when I realized I had stashed my pickles in my purse. I grabbed the jar out of my bag and grabbed one.

"Pickles Bella, really?" Angela said, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"What? They're good." I answered taking another bite. They all let out a chuckle.

"I feel you Bella." When I was pregnant with JJ, I loved them. Especially with ice cream or peanut butter." Leah said and I felt my mouth water at the thought.

"It is. When I was pregnant with Edward it was like I couldn't go a day without eating one, and now I can't stand those dreaded things." Esme chuckled.

"I loved them while I was pregnant and still do. That's probably why Bella likes them so much. Especially with vanilla ice cream." My mom cheered.

"That sounds delicious." I moaned.

"That sounds disgusting." Alice grumbled. "And Bella why are your jeans undone?" She asked and I looked down to see that my sweater had risen up revealing my unzipped jeans.

I felt my face flush.

"Well they wouldn't fit and I had no other jeans." I answered sadly, knowing what was about to come next.

"Ooh! You know what that means, Shopping!" Alice and Rosalie squealed, and they all began talking excitedly about maternity clothes and stuff for the baby. That was my cue to leave.

Of our little group, they knew how much I detested shopping. Even as a little girl when my mom would drag Liam and me to the mall for school clothes, I would throw, a tantrum and she would have to go call my dad to come pick me up. I pulled my shirt down before getting up.

"Where are you going Bella" Angela asked.

"Inside. You know how much I hate shopping." I groaned, walking away.

"You can run Bella, but you can't hide." Alice hollered and I rolled my eyes, entering the kitchen.

All that talk of peanut butter and ice cream seriously had me hungry. They didn't have any ice cream but they luckily had a jar of peanut butter in one of their cabinets. I grabbed the jar and dipped one of my pickles into it. I took a tentative bite and I think my eyes rolled into the back of my head. It tasted like heaven.

I heard a few cheers coming from the other room and decided to see what all the commotion was about. All the men were in front of the television watching some football game. Their eyes were focused on the screen, a beer in each of their hands. I don't even think they heard me come in with all the grumbling they were doing.

I was watching them in amusement, when I suddenly found myself swept off my feet into someone's arms nearly making me pee my pants. I heard my brother's laughter.

"Hey booger." he grinned calling me my childhood nickname. I looked up at him and gave him a glare.

"Liam, put me down this instance." I screeched, trying to get out his arms, but he wouldn't let me go.

"Son, what are you doing to your sister?" I heard my father's gruff voice ask.

"Nothing." he said innocently.

"Yes he is. He's bothering me." I hollered, as he carried me over to where the guys were.

"A cacophony of 'Hi Bella's' broke out across the room and I waved to all of my friends and family.

"Hey sweetie. How's my favorite daughter?" My dad said with a smile.

"Hey daddy. And I'm good and I'm also your only daughter and favorite child." I smiled. I was total daddy's girl and he knew it.

"Yes you are." My dad said with a wink.

"Uh hello, first born over here." Liam said.

"Love you too son." he grinned. I gave a wave to Carlisle.

"Hi Bella. I would ask how you and our grandchild are doing, but Edward was adamant on not telling us anything." he replied giving a pointed look over at his son. Edward just shrugged his shoulders sheepishly.

"That's right. You guys will just have to find out later." I smirked.

"I bet I can get it out of you." Liam laughed before he started poking me in my side, making me squeal.

"Stop, Stop Li, before I end up peeing on you." I squealed.

"Ew, here Eddie." he said, before dropping me down carefully on the couch making me sprawl out across Edward and Jasper's lap.

I tried to sit up but my stomach prevented it from doing so. Edward helped me up and settled me on his lap. He sent a glare at my older brother.

"Yes Liam, just drop your pregnant baby sister on the couch. She's fine." I muttered sarcastically. He didn't hear me as his eyes were trained on the contents in his hands.

"Booger, what is this?" he grumbled, looking at it like it was some complicated math equation.

"That's my snack, now give it." I grumbled as he handed it to me. I dipped my pickle into the jar and got a nice slab of peanut butter on it before taking a bite. I moaned and closed my eyes. When I opened them, it was deathly silent and the guys were looking at me with amused and disgusted faces.

"What?" I mumbled, feeling myself blush red.

"That's just nasty Bells." My dad laughed.

"Well it tastes good to me." I muttered, and felt Edward's chest shake in laughter.

"Stop laughing." I grumbled. When he wouldn't I shoved a bite of my pickle into his mouth, and he stopped laughing. His nose wrinkled in disgust and he looked like he was about to be sick.

"Swallow." I pushed, and he gave me a look that he clearly didn't want to. I nodded my head and watched in amusement as he swallowed it down.

"Good boy." I grinned patting his leg. I laid back against his chest and continued eating when Esme called that the food was ready. Everyone got up and headed towards the dining room Edward and I trailing behind. We both knew it was coming. We were to make our big announcement after dinner and I didn't know how I was going to gauge their reactions.

"Bella, Edward are you guys coming?" I heard Esme's soft voice call.

"Here we come." Edward called and he grabbed my hand, leading me into the dining room.

We were coming and we were ready we just didn't know if they were ready for us.