Chapter 8 - Paying the Forfeit & Romantic Getaways

"Poor little thing; you are not what they wanted, but we will love you nonetheless. A son would have belonged to the State; you shall be mine, and have all my care; you shall share in my happiness and soften my sorrows." – words spoken by Marie Antoinette to her first born child, Princess Marie Therese.

EPOV

"Keep your eyes upon me, dear child, and mind no other object."

"I mind nothing while I hold your hand. I shall mind nothing when I let it go, if they are rapid."

"They will be rapid. Fear not!"

I held the girl's hand as we waited at the base of the scaffold where Madame la Guillotine waited to do her handiwork.

"Do you think," she asked in a whisper, "that it will seem long while we wait for those we love in the better land; the land where I trust both you and I will be mercifully sheltered?"

"It cannot be, my child; there is no time there, and no trouble there."

"You comfort me so much!" Her expression brightened a little as she spoke, "Am I to kiss you now? Is the moment come?"

"Yes."

She then pressed her lips lightly to mine before pulling away.

We paused, staring into one another's eyes.

"Edward, Julia, hold it right there and… cut!" Joe exclaimed. "Perfect take. Exactly what I was looking for, you two."

At our director's words I felt my body sag with relief. We'd been filming this particular scene all morning, and I was glad that finally we had a good take.

Although, knowing Joe, we'd keep going until we had at least one more that he deemed satisfactory.

These last days of filming in France had been grueling; long hours with very little 'down time'. I was looking forward to having a few days off before we began filming in England.

***L&EL***

And if we are to die tonight
Is there a moonlight up ahead?
And if we are to die tonight
Another rose will bloom

For a faded rose
Will I be the one that you save?
I love when it showers
But no one puts flowers
On a flower's grave

"Why the hell are you listening to this depressing shit?" Alec interrupted my almost nap in the trailer.

"What the fuck? Do you know how to knock?" I snarled, startled from my drowsy state.

"I did. Guess you didn't hear me over the music."

"Well, knock louder next time," I snapped. "And don't diss Tom Waits, asshat."

And if we are to die tonight
Is there a moonlight up ahead?
I remember the showers
But no one puts flowers
On a flower's grave

I rubbed my eyes and sat up, before grabbing the remote and lowering the volume.

Alec stood there with his hands on his hips, waiting. "Well?"

"Well, what?" I snarled again.

He rolled his eyes. "Why the sad music? I thought you were the happiest guy in the world or some shit." The smirk told me the he was teasing, but I was in a first class shitty mood at that moment.

"If you remember, I'm getting my head lopped off tomorrow, so to speak, I'm trying to hold onto a somber frame of mind."

Alec sat down in a chair, studying me before raising his eyebrows and sighing.

"What?"

"I know you've always been a method actor but…" He stood and crossed to the mini fridge, pulling out two bottles of water and handing me one.

"Thanks," I muttered. "Continue with what you were saying."

He sat down again, "It seems that since you met Bella, you had gotten away from that a little."  

He shrugged and took a sip of his water.

He was right; however I wasn't sure I wanted to admit that to him. Since Bella, I hadn't immersed myself fully into character twenty-four hours a day while filming, as I used to do. That fact obviously hadn't hampered my acting ability; I'd won an Oscar to prove it.

No, if I were being honest, my shitty mood had nothing about Sydney Carton and everything to do with my time off set.

"Look, I'm sorry I was short with you," I began.

Alec clutched at his heart. "Damn, did you just apologize? Cause, dude you should give a guy some warning. I might have a weak heart or something. You could kill me."

"Shut the fuck up or I'm going to take back the apology," I tried to sound angry, but couldn't help grinning at him.

Alec laughed.

I thought about the fact that I usually confided my troubles to Jasper; except that this was one time I couldn't do that.

"I'm just…" I blew out a breath and ran one hand through my hair in frustration. "Don't you breathe a word of this to Jasper because I don't want it getting back to my sister." I leveled a serious look at Alec.

He shrugged and lost the smile. "Sure, man."

"It's just that we have all these people staying in our house, and it's getting on my nerves. Every night, Bella is surrounded by them when I get home, if it's not Alice then it's Christopher, or even Katja who seem to monopolize her time…"

Alec pursed his lips. "So you're feeling neglected? Ignored? Like you're not the center of Bella's universe anymore?"

I winced. "Not sure about the last part, but yes, I suppose I feel a little of those other things." I sighed. "Bella's not doing it on purpose. She's trying to be everything to everyone, but at the end of the day, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot left for me…" I trailed off, not sure that I even knew what the hell I was rambling on about.

"Ohhhh," Alec nodded sagely, "so it's about sex. You're not getting any…"

"I didn't say that!" I exclaimed, irritated that, once again, he was right. "You know what? Never mind, forget I said anything."

"Dude, would you calm down. Believe it or not, I am capable of giving good advice."

I looked at him skeptically.

"It's the truth," he said with a smirk. "Ignoring the fact that you may need to see a doctor about having your balls surgically reattached…"

"Fucker," I barked out a laugh as I picked up my baseball cap from the side table and threw it at his head.

He laughed before continuing, "When my brother's wife was pregnant last year, he used to call me up just to complain about shit, because his wife was so emotional he couldn't mention it to her, um, not without worrying that she might possibly end his life…"

I chuckled; glad my wife wasn't scary, but yeah, she would overreact and blame herself if she knew how I was feeling.

"Anyway, I remember that during Christmas, her whole family descended on them, intending to stay for two weeks. His wife was exhausted and moody as shit because she was trying to keep everyone happy, well, except for him." Alec chuckled.

I rolled my eyes, waiting patiently for this great advice he was planning to impart. "This was when I realized that my brother was a genius. He booked a three day New Year's package at some exclusive resort, wrapped the information up as a gift, and placed it under the Christmas tree."

"The wife opened it and thought he'd planned it months before. She was thrilled by the romantic gesture, not realizing that it was an act of desperation." Alec chuckled. "Her family was happy that she was happy. And my brother was fucking ecstatic when they went home early so he and the wife could take their trip. It was a win, win situation." He rubbed is hands together, "The way I see it, we're in France and as soon as filming is done here, you have an entire week free before having to report on set in England. There's a hell of a lot of romantic getaway options."

I sat there in silence, stunned.

"Well, say something."

I cleared my throat. "Alec, um, I take back all the times that I called you a stupid fuck. You, my friend, have redeemed yourself."

"Gee, thanks." He said with a scowl, causing me to laugh loudly.

"So, are you ready to do a little research?"

Alec grinned, "Let me guess, I need to come up with vacation options in France?"

"Exactly," I smiled, satisfied that things seemed to be looking up.

***L&EL***

I was so invigorated with the thought of having Bella to myself again that I actually paid attention to my surroundings during the ride home. That was how I spied the little flower shop as we passed, and had the driver stop. Realizing what I was doing Jasper, that dick, bought flowers for my sister as well.

I shot him an annoyed glare.

"What? Do you seriously believe I'll be keepin' my balls if you give flowers to Bella and I walk in empty handed?"

He had a point.

Armed with our bouquets, we entered the house. The first sound to greet our ears was that of laughter coming from the direction of the kitchen. I was surprised when Jasper frowned.

Hmm. Maybe I'm not the only one feeling neglected…

As had been the norm lately, I found Martin busily preparing dinner, and Bella seated on the settee by the window, Chris at her side. Alice, Katja and Lou were seated around the table.

"Hi honey," she exclaimed as soon as she saw me loitering in the doorway. "Look, Chris is showing me how to crochet. I'm going to make a blanket for the baby." Her eyes were bright and happy. I couldn't help but smile as she crossed the room to kiss me hello, and show me the narrow strip of cream colored yarn which I supposed was the beginning of said blanket.

"That's great, baby." I answered while handing her the bouquet of wildflowers and circling my other arm around her body, pulling her close before kissing the side of her head.

"Thank you," she whispered as she buried her nose in the bouquet. "That was very sweet." She reached up then and I felt her fingers lace through the hair on the back of my head as she stood on her toes and deposited a sweet kiss on my lips. "I'll put these in a vase."

I nodded, but before I let her pull away, I rubbed my hand across her belly. The bump had grown during the last two weeks, and soon it would be difficult for Bella to hide the fact that she was expecting, even in the black trench coat she'd taken to wearing every time she left the house.

She smiled and I let her go.

"Hello, Edward," Martin addressed me while chopping vegetables. "Dinner won't be ready for another hour, but there are some cheese tarts to tide you over until then." He gestured toward the table. As mouthwatering as the food looked, I didn't want to linger in the kitchen.

I gave a slight shake of my head, "I'm okay. I think I'll grab a shower." I glanced toward Bella, wishing more than anything that she'd decide to join me, but knowing that it wouldn't happen.

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit." Bella called as she filled a vase with water from the tap. The low murmur of voices deep in conversation followed me as I climbed the stairs.

I knew I was being a moody jerk, but after the shower, I had no desire to be sociable, so I pulled on my sweats and a t-shirt and lay across the bed, mentally preparing myself for tomorrow. It was to be the most important scene of the entire movie, so my state of mind was key.

That's how Bella found me a short time later when she stole softly into our room, the vase of flowers in her hands.

After setting them down on the dresser, she climbed in beside me and lay down. "You okay?"

I rolled on my side in order to face her and nodded, God, she was so beautiful. I traced her cheek with my fingers before answering. "You know they say that pregnant women glow, and I haven't been around enough to know for sure, but in your case it is most certainly true my love."

She blushed at my words. "I don't know about that, but thank you." She said as she covered my hand with her own, holding it against her cheek. "Are you sure that everything is okay?"

I gave her a small forced smile. "Yeah, I'm just not very good company tonight. Preparing for tomorrow you know?"

Her eyebrows knit together with worry. "Is it okay if I'm here, I didn't mean to disturb …"

"No, baby, you could never disturb me," I reached my arms around her, pulling her to me, making certain she couldn't escape.

She giggled in my arms. "Are you looking forward to a few days off?"

I smiled for real then. "Yes, definitely, we'll be able to visit all the places you've been wanting to see."

And I can whisk you away for a few days alone…

Bella bit her lip as she concentrated on something. "About that," she hesitated as she looked into my eyes.

"What's wrong? Have you changed your mind?"

"No, I still want to see those places, but I don't think we should rush it. I was thinking that once you're done filming in England, we could come back for a few days before returning home."

"I thought you were in a hurry to return to Seattle?"

"I can't wait to see our family, that's true," She hesitated before continuing. "But, once the baby arrives, I'm going to be pretty busy, not to mention exhausted. Rose and your Mom keep saying that I should enjoy this time." She gave a light shrug as if she was unsure.

"They would know, Bella." I reassured, earning me another smile.

My week off was looking better and better.

"Which places would you like to see this week?"

"Well," she hesitated, "I was thinking The Louvre and Versailles. Those are the two I'm most interested in."

"You'll be okay going in public? The paps will be particularly aggressive."

It was true. Ever since they'd suspected that Bella was pregnant, they'd been shouting strings of inane questions at me, and it was the same for her whenever she ventured out. I counted on Katja and Lou to keep her safe and so far had been rewarded for my trust.

"I'm always better when I'm with you," she answered in a quiet voice.

***L&EL***

"Are you warm enough?"

Bella smiled and nodded as she clutched her cup of tea with both hands. We were attending the wrap party for the French portion of A Tale of Two Cities. Several members of the cast and crew wouldn't be working on the England shoot, so the producers had reserved a rooftop restaurant for the event in order to thank them for a job well done.

Despite there being a bit of a chill in the evening air, Bella had insisted on seeing the view from the terrace. It was nothing short of spectacular, and well worth a few shivers.

"This is lovely," Bella murmured into her cup as she gazed in the direction of the Eiffel Tower.

"So, tomorrow the Louvre?"

"That's the plan," Bella answered, her eyes still glued to the lights of the city spread out before us. "It looks like we'll be going alone though, Alice and Chris are meeting with clients tomorrow, and I doubt Jasper wants to go."

I smiled to myself, not disappointed in the least.

She leaned up to kiss me, "I'll be right back, my bladder is screaming at me. Wait right here."

I nodded and drank the last of my bourbon before setting down the glass; the burn warmed me.

Noise from the street below drifted up to where I stood. The city had come alive with people seeking out their evening's entertainment.

"Bella's nice," I started a little and turned to find Eliza Richardson, the actress who played Lucy Manet, standing in front of the open door watching me.

"Yes she is," I gave Eliza a small smile as she approached.

"Seeing you two together gives me hope," Eliza swayed a bit on her feet, I reached out a hand to steady her so that she wouldn't fall into me.

"Sorry," she said in a breathless whisper as she regained her balance and I deemed it safe to let go of her shoulder. She gave me what could only be described as a drunken smile before speaking again, "I thought I had that once."

"Had what?"

"Someone who loved me and wanted to keep me forever. You want Bella forever, right?"

I nodded, "Well, yes, obviously. Bella is everything to me."

"See? That's what I mean. Why can't more men be like you Edward?" She reached up to stroke my cheek while she spoke.

Oh boy…

I quickly grabbed her hand and held it between both of mine. At first I was confused by her behavior, but then I remembered hearing about a nasty breakup she'd had with her boyfriend of two years, also an actor, just prior to the start of shooting.

Damn. You would have never known while filming that she was hurting…

Eliza had been a complete professional on set.

I suppose looks can be deceiving.

"Oh, Eliza, you're so young. I'm sure you'll find the right person. Be patient." I tried my best to be consoling, but I barely knew what to say. I was way out of my comfort zone at that moment.

"I wanna find that guy so badly, Edward. The guy who thinks I'm his everything. I thought I had that with Michael, but I was sadly mistaken." She blew out a breath as her eyes filled with tears and she abruptly looked down at her feet while wiping them away.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for her.

"I don't know what to say…" I admitted.

She looked up at me then and shrugged. "S'okay." She gave me the tenderest of smiles before leaning closer, "You're kind of perfect you know."

I raised my eyebrows and before I could stop her, Eliza fell into me, her lips grazing just below mine as she did.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I swiftly grabbed her shoulders, holding her in place while I took a hurried step backward, until my body was pressed against the railing.

"Please, don't," I said in a low, forceful tone.

She blinked hard, obviously in an effort to focus and took a large sip of her drink.

Jesus

"After I found out Michael was fucking his P.A., he said…" she paused, "what was it he said?" she furrowed her brow as she thought, "Oh yeah, he said that a "long distance relationship" wasn't going to work for him. He had needs." She pursed her lips and blew. "I'll tell you who has needs, Edward. I have needs. I have the need to know that the man I'm in a relationship with isn't sticking his dick in someone else. Ever."

I was never good at handling drunks, and this moment in time was no exception. I looked past Eliza to see if anyone was nearby who could assist.

Why is it that when I want to be by myself, I seem to be surrounded by people, but now, when I could use a little help, I am utterly alone?

Fuck my life.

I need help before this woman attempts to kiss me again…

Whatever Eliza said next was lost on me. My mind was a jumble; my only thoughts being ones of escape.

My stomach hurts…

I wonder if I'm getting an ulcer?

As if in answer to my near panic attack, Meg, Eliza's manager, suddenly appeared in the doorway, holding what looked to be a cup of coffee in her hands.

Thank God

"Eliza! There you are." She exclaimed, causing Eliza to turn in her direction. "Come back inside and have some coffee, and maybe a little food."

Eliza made a noise akin to a growl. "Must I?"

"I'm afraid so, honey. I hope she wasn't too much of a bother, Edward. She's been drinking on an empty stomach which usually causes her to do things she will regret later." Meg paused. "That is, if she remembers them."

"Yoo hoo, I'm standing right here," Eliza announced with a scowl.

"She's been fine." I lied coolly.

Fine? Well, at least she didn't try to grab my junk…

"Yeah," Eliza stated, "I was just telling Edward that I need a man like him."

"Oh dear."

"It's quite alright," I assured as Meg took Eliza's hand and slowly led her toward the door, just in time for Bella to pass them on her way back to me.

"Bella!"

I saw Bella's eyes go wide as Eliza shouted her name. She turned to face her.

"Hold onto him, Bella. He's one of a kind."

Bella smiled, realizing that Eliza wasn't in the same state she'd been when we first arrived. "I intend to." She answered softly.

Eliza nodded in satisfaction as Meg pulled her through the open door.

"Wow." Bella turned to me, grinning.

I rolled my eyes. "That was… interesting." Ignoring the fact that she'd drunkenly molested me, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Eliza. "Poor girl, she broke up with her boyfriend months ago, but obviously isn't over it."

Bella gave a sympathetic look. "Oh, I had no idea. She seemed so happy earlier."

"She's a good actress," I replied with a smirk.

I contemplated telling Bella about Eliza's behavior, but thought better of it, secretly hoping to put the entire incident behind us. Hopefully, Eliza herself would have no memory of it when she awoke the next day.

"This is so romantic," Bella said with a sigh as she rested her head on my shoulder while gazing out over the city.

I glanced around and once I was satisfied that we weren't being watched, I may have stolen a few passionate kisses from my wife. And, while kissing her, I may have slipped my hands under that horrid trench coat.

I swear I'm going to burn this thing as soon as the weather turns warm…

I also may have pulled her shirt up in order to feel the warmth of her skin as I rested my hands on her tummy.

"Any movement tonight?" I asked.

She nodded. "A little."

Bella had said that she'd been feeling the baby move for days now. It had begun as a sort of fluttering feeling which eventually gave way to little bumps against the sides of her stomach.

I made sure to place my hand on her tummy every time we were together, but as yet hadn't felt a thing. My greatest fear was that I'd miss that special moment and someone like my sister or Chris would be the first person besides Bella to feel our baby move. The notion was unacceptable.

I wanted it so badly to be me…

I sighed, knowing I was being a jerk once again, but I couldn't seem to help myself.

***L&EL***

Three hours into our tour of the Louvre and I was kicking myself for not scheduling a private, after-hours visit.

They do that for celebrities, don't they?

I honestly didn't know…

If I'd only considered the adverse effects that the crowds and noise would have on my pregnant wife, I would have bribed whoever I needed to get that private tour.

One moment, we were following along with the crowd, passing from one exhibit to another, and the next Bella was grasping my arm saying she needed to sit down.

I'd made her remove that stupid coat, not caring a bit that the form fitting top she was wearing over her maternity jeans left little doubt that Bella was expecting. By tonight, her photo was sure to be splashed across all the gossip sites.

It didn't matter. I needed her comfortable.

Now, as she sat on a bench, her face pale and her skin clammy, with me crouched on the floor at her feet, I felt utterly helpless. "How about some water, baby?" I held a bottle to her lips, urging her to take a sip.

She took the bottle from my hands and drank a little before closing he eyes.

"I'm sorry," she started in a weak voice, "I don't know what happened."

"Bella, don't apologize. You're pregnant. I'm pretty sure that dizzy spells come with the territory."

"I know, but I feel like such a wuss." She gave me a defeated smile.

"Nonsense," I said, leaning up to kiss her lips. "But I think we've had enough museum for the day."

She nodded as her shoulders sagged with relief.

***L&EL***

"Everything seems to be progressing normally." Doctor Girard stated after measuring Bella's stomach and listening to the baby's heartbeat. "Now, I have ordered an ultrasound for today. You are more than eighteen weeks along Bella, so if the little one cooperates, we may be able to discover whether you're having a boy or a girl."

"Oh, doctor, about that," Bella rushed out the words, "Edward and I discussed it, we don't want to know until the baby arrives." She turned toward me with a smile.

It was true. We'd discussed that very thing the night before.

Secretly, I was dying to know if we were having a son or a daughter, but Bella seemed to have her heart set on being surprised, so I played along.

Eh, it's more important for her to be happy anyway…

"So… am I gonna be an Uncle or an Aunt?" Bella was overcome with giggles at her brother's silly question. "That didn't come out right." He slurred, "Am I gonna be a niece or a nephew?"

Rose was laughing now. "As you can tell, my husband had a few too many while out with his teammates this evening."

"Fuck yeah I had too many, that ass Willie bet that he could drink me under the table. When I left, he was hurling in the parking lot. He he he."

I grinned at the sight of Emmett's happy expression peering back at us from Bella's laptop screen, and shook my head. I think I'd actually missed the big oaf.

"Emmett, I hope you didn't drive," Bella, ever the worrier, interjected.

"Don't worry Sissy, I caaaabbed it." He paused and frowned as if thinking, "So, answer the question, boy or girl?"

"Sorry, Emmett, but Edward and I decided we're going to wait. We want to be surprised."

"Aww," Emmett's expression registered his disappointment.

"Oh, shit," Rose muttered, we could hear her voice, but couldn't see her. "I bet that went over like a lead balloon with Alice. She's done nothing but talk about the baby shower. I think she was counting on knowing the sex of the baby."

"You've got that right," Alice chimed in from her spot on the other sofa. "These two have no consideration for us or our party plans, Rosalie."

Her pronouncement caused Rose to laugh. "Hey, I can wait to find out Ali, you're the impatient one."

Alice crossed her arms over her chest and sat back, pouting.

"She'll get over it," I gave my sister a pointed look from across the room. "The only problem Bella and I have now is that we have to agree on a name for both a boy and a girl since we won't know ahead of time."

"I'm sure that won't be difficult," Bella whispered.

As soon as we'd arrived home from Bella's early morning doctor's appointment, Alice and Chris had pounced, wanting to know the sex of the baby. We apologized for having to disappoint them, but admittedly weren't really sorry.

Then, Rose and Emmett had Skyped, and here we were, fielding questions from Bella's inebriated brother.

Emmett interrupted, seeming to have gotten over his disappointment, "Okay, I can wait too. So, how's France… seen any mimes?" He actually shuddered as he asked the question.

Bella and I both shook our heads.

"I hate those fuckers." He turned away from the screen then, "Hey, Rosie, do you think mimes are a species of clown? 'Cause they're both creepy."

"Emmett, it's not like being a mime is a biological trait you loon." Rose chastised.

"Hmm," He seemed to ponder that. "Yeah, I guess it's more like a cult. Anyway, I don't trust the fuckers. I think it's because of that nightmare I had a couple of years ago where one of 'em teabagged me."

I almost swallowed my tongue as I attempted to hold back the loud guffaws trying to escape. 

Chris and Alice weren't as successful; their cackles filling the air around us.

"That dream was vivid, let me tell you." He continued as if he couldn't hear them. "And if it was accurate, there is no worse torture in this world. Fuck waterboarding, that's child's play compared to having a nasty, hairy, mime ballsack shoved in your mouth."

And… that was it.

While I vaguely registered both Rose and Bella shouting at Emmett, I couldn't listen. I couldn't speak. I was too busy clutching my sides as I collapsed into convulsive laughter while rolling back and forth on the sofa.

Oh fuck me…..

I think Emmett's unpredictable, unfiltered and inappropriate view of the world is growing on me.

***L&EL***

Once our Skype session with Rose and Emmett was over, and I'd regained my composure, I looked up to find Jasper standing in the doorway holding his laptop, his expression unreadable.

From the time we'd arrived home, he'd been holed up in he and Alice's room, talking on the phone.

I assumed he was discussing my schedule with Jane but now I wasn't so sure.

"Edward, may I have a word?" He asked in a serious tone.

I nodded and slipped from the room, following him silently to the small study next to the dining room.

"What's going on?"

He cleared his throat while pulling up a file on the laptop. "We appear to have a situation. Would you care to explain these?" He asked, confusion sounding in his voice.

I sat down in front of the laptop in order to see the screen clearly.

"What the fuck?" I asked incredulously at the sight of Eliza Richardson and I standing on the terrace at the wrap party, my hand on her shoulder.

Jazz clicked on the next image, which showed Eliza's hand on my face, and then the next one of her falling against me, her lips almost touching mine. Although to anyone seeing the photos without benefit of knowing what really happened, it would appear that we were kissing.

"Tell me there's a reasonable explanation for these," Jasper was pleading now.

"Of course there is." I snapped at him without meaning to, but I was abruptly furious over what it would mean if these photos were released. "Eliza was drinking on an empty stomach. When Bella left to go to the ladies' room, she suddenly appeared and started talking about how Bella and I gave her hope and we were perfect together. She was drunk Jazz. She attempted to kiss me. I stopped her. End of story."

I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming on.

The next two images were of me making out with my wife; however since Bella's back was to the camera, her face was obscured. Anyone seeing these after seeing the first ones could easily mistake my wife for Eliza, seeing that they're about the same height and have almost the same hair color.

"These last two are of me and Bella."

"They are?" Jazz bent down and looked closely at the screen. He nodded and seemed to relax a bit.

"What the hell does this mean?" I asked.

"These were sent to me as a courtesy. The photos are going to be published on Bryce Marriott's gossip site tomorrow."

"The fuck they are!" I raised my voice until I was practically screaming and stood abruptly, knocking the desk chair into the wall. "Jasper, where are the rest of the shots, huh? The ones where I pushed Eliza away. The ones where Meg came to get her? The ones where Bella told her goodbye? The ones where my wife and I were kissing and her face can be clearly seen? Those fuckers probably took a hundred photos, and the ones they're choosing to release make it look as if I'm cheating on my wife!"

"I'm afraid so…"

"Fuck!" I slammed my hand down on the desk and pushed past him, beginning to panic. "What can we do? Can we sue them?"

"I don't know. I don't think so. I mean you were at a public restaurant and you were outside. Those sumbitches obviously got a tip and set up across the street, hoping to get something. The irony is that the best they were probably hoping for were pregnancy photos and what they got was a whole lot more…"

"I didn't do anything wrong," I seethed while glaring at him.

"Calm down, Edward. I believe you. We need to decide how to address this."

I rubbed my hands over my face in frustration.

Why the hell was this happening to me?

"Okay, first of all, did you tell Bella about Eliza trying to kiss you?"

I frowned deeply and looked away from him. "No, I didn't want her to have any stress, and honestly, Eliza was drunk. Until then, she'd been a complete professional. I didn't think it fair for her to be judged by that one incident."

Just then, there was a soft knock at the door. "Edward," Bella called, "is everything okay?"

I took a deep breath and looked at Jazz again. "So much for not causing her any stress," I muttered before pulling the door open. "Hey, baby."

She looked at me with worried eyes. "What's wrong?"

"You should probably come in," At that moment, I felt as if the weight of the world was pressing down on my shoulders.

***L&EL***

"So, they are only releasing these five?"

I nodded and hung my head, unable to look her in the eyes. As soon as Bella entered, Jasper had taken his leave, assuming correctly that we needed some privacy.

"Edward," She stroked my cheek with her hand, forcing me to lift my head. I felt my heart clench as I watched her eyes fill with tears. "I hate so much that you're hurting."

She was worried about me?

"Bella, you and the baby are what's important. I couldn't care less about myself…"

"Edward, the baby and I are fine. But you don't deserve this, you're such a good man." she drew in a shaky breath, "It's just wrong. I believe that these gossip reporters and paparazzi have no souls. It seems that they glory in inflicting pain on others as long as it makes them a little money."

In the end, we decided to quietly explore our legal options, but not to make any kind of statement about the photos until we were in England.

I was already scheduled to appear on the Graham Norton Show, and Bella insisted that she go with me. Since Graham's show was predominantly aired in the U.K., we were also thinking about doing a satellite appearance on Ellen in order to set the record straight.

Hopefully we'd be able to give Bryce Marriott exactly what he had coming to him.

So to speak.

What I really wanted to do would no doubt get me arrested.

***L&EL***

"Okay, I think I've seen enough tapestries and gold brocade now to last a lifetime." Bella announced with a light chuckle as we neared the end of the Palace of Versailles tour.

"Bite your tongue, Missy," Chris teased, "Although, I guess I see what you mean. It does get to be a bit much. But still," he sighed. "Can you imagine what this place was like at the height of its glory?" He paused, lost in thought.

"Are you still a bigger fan of the Queen's bedchamber rather than the King's?" Alice asked.

He nodded. "I am. I can't help it, and it has nothing to do with my partiality to queens." He laughed. "The room is lavish but not gaudy, at least not to me."

Alice nodded. "I think I have to agree. It is stunning."

"My favorite was the little room with the blue furnishings…" Bella began.

"Part of the Queen's private apartment?"

Bella nodded.

Frankly, the conversation was lost on me. After the first thirty minutes all the rooms had started to look the same.

"Oh yes!" Chris nodded in agreement. "Louis gave Marie Antoinette that room after the birth of their son. That was her sanctuary." He gave a sad smile.

We'd been teasing Chris all afternoon about his unabashed adoration of Marie Antoinette. At one point, he and Bella had a long discussion about how the poor woman was misunderstood and how she'd been unfairly treated in the history books.

"She was fourteen years old when they sent her here from Austria to marry Louis. She was the daughter of an Empress for heaven's sakes, raised in a palace, and they wondered why she was out of touch with the little people?" He shook his head sadly. "Poor, tragic soul."

After a tour of the gardens, everyone was agreeable to bidding a fond farewell to the palace of Versailles.

Against my better judgment, I'd let Alice convince Bella and me to join everyone for dinner at her favorite restaurant. Obviously, when we'd arrived at the palace there were no paps to be seen, but I didn't hold out hope that there wouldn't be a swarm of them waiting near the exit.

Especially with the release of those misleading photos earlier today.

I loved my fans, but wished they'd realize the difficulty placed on Bella and me when they insisted on tweeting out our location.

With my arm around my wife's shoulders, we approached the gate. I felt Bella stiffen beside me as soon as she spied the group of photographers waiting on the other side. There was no way to avoid them.

I pulled her close and spoke low in her ear. "Stay close, Lou and Katja will keep them away from you. The car is on the street just outside." Unfortunately, that still meant we had a good fifty feet to walk from the gate to the safety of the vehicle.

***L&EL***

"Christmas on a cracker!" Alice exclaimed once we were seated in the quiet of the large sedan.

Turning to Jasper, she continued, "Are you prepared to bail me out of jail, because I am going to break bad on those butt heads before we leave Paris."

I usually laughed when my sister hurled insults worthy of a seven year old, but not this time. "Please don't, Alice," I began, with a shake of my head. "Just leave it alone."

"Leave it alone!" She practically shouted, "I don't know how you can take this so calmly, Edward. Did you not hear the things they were saying?"

"Obviously I did, but we will deal with this in our own way." I told her through clenched teeth. Bella's hand was suddenly in mine. I clasped it tightly, needing her touch to ground me. "Those bastards are not worth getting Bella upset."

Alice didn't say any more, but she didn't look pleased either.

Dinner with Alice, Chris and Jasper was a welcome distraction. By the time we'd finished, everyone, excluding my lovely wife of course, had imbibed a bit too much alcohol, and were feeling no pain.

It was nice to really relax and let go. Chris and Alice kept us so entertained that I was almost able to forget what was awaiting us outside.

Several paps had followed us to the restaurant and, I had no doubt that the small group would have grown quite large by the time we were ready to leave.

"So Bella, still no clue where Edward's whisking you away to tomorrow?" My sister asked, a bit of mischief in her eyes.

I smiled as Bella shook her head. "He won't even give me a hint. Well, okay, he admitted we were staying in France but that was all I could get out of him."

I leaned in to kiss the side of her head. "Can I help it if I like surprising you?"

A short time later, I noticed Bella's eyelids begin to droop, it was time to leave. Before I could suggest it however, Jasper spoke up. "Probably time we called it a night, looks like Bella's ready to fall out on us."

Bella blinked several times. "I'm sorry. It seems as soon as I eat dinner anymore, I find it hard to keep my eyes open."

"Don't apologize, baby. You need the extra sleep."

Alice nodded in agreement. "Yes, don't forget that you're growing my niece or nephew in there," she announced before hiccuping loudly.

We all laughed.

The only bad thing about this particular restaurant was that we had to cross the street in order to reach the car. That gave the crowd of paps the opportunity to surround us. I held Bella close to my side as we moved.

Our security team did their job, but there was nothing that could stop the shouted questions, obviously meant to force a reaction:

"Bella, are you only staying with Edward because of the baby?"

We kept our heads down and moved swiftly across the street, ignoring them as best we could.

"Edward, are you the reason Eliza Richardson broke up with Zachary Boyle?"

"Bella, he's a cheater. Just wait, he will cheat again."

"Bella did you cheat because Edward cheated first?"

"Is the baby even Edward's?"

"Hold on right there bitches!" I could hear Christopher's voice, but I didn't turn my head to watch. "You better check yourself before you wreck yourself, Sunshine." By this time we'd reached the car and Lou was practically pushing us inside. I could still hear Chris chastising the paps, "Back the fuck up, and stop shouting your pathetic insults at my friends, you useless whores."

Lou slammed the door and I wasn't able to hear anything else, but I could see Chris through the window as he waved his arms, gesturing wildly while seeming to shout at one photographer in particular. I saw Alice linger, trying to stay with him, but Jasper pulled her away while at the same time, giving Chris's arm a tug as well.

All three piled into the vehicle immediately after; Chris was red-faced and seething.

"Well, that was fun!" He spat out the words. "I was this close," he held his hand up, his thumb and finger less than an inch apart, "from starting to rip off body parts."

"Do you feel better now?" Bella asked, she almost looked amused, but I knew her well enough to know she was hiding how upset she truly was.

Chris paused to think. "You know, I actually think I do." He smiled then. "I said I had your back. Don't you worry Bella mia." He assured while leaning forward to pat her hand.

***L&EL***

"This is amazing!" Bella was positively trembling with excitement as we made our way up to our room, the concierge happily telling her a brief history of the chateau which was now a luxury hotel.

As soon as I saw photos of the place online, I knew she'd love it.

We had officially escaped the city and would be staying in Provence for the next three days. I had made tentative plans for things we could do, but it would all hinge on how Bella was feeling.

That morning, we had said goodbye to our family and to the house which had been our home for the past two months. We'd promised to meet up with Alice, Jasper and Chris a week later in London. I'd also sent Sidney and Alec on ahead to prepare things in England, so that left Lou and Katja to travel with us.

Once we were finally alone in our suite, I quickly closed the distance between us and pulled her into my arms, kissing her deeply. "Alone at last," I murmured before attacking her chin and then her neck with warm kisses, not loosening my hold on her body, despite her squirms and giggles.

My body, as usual, reacted immediately to having Bella close. When my lips found hers again and I pressed my hardness against her, she moaned into my mouth.

I was on the verge of taking her right there in the sitting room until she pushed away slightly. "I need to use the bathroom, and freshen up."

I was abruptly ashamed of my selfishness. It had been a long trip, and she was pregnant.

What the hell was I thinking?

"I'm so sorry baby..."

She smiled and brushed her lips against mine. "I won't be long."

Once Bella disappeared into the bedroom, I willed my erection away, promising that his banishment was only temporary. Lucky for me, my phone rang presenting me with the perfect distraction.

Jasper

He was calling to let me know that he'd spoken to Eliza Richardson and had succeeding in calming her down yet again. I'd spoken to her and our family just before the photos were released, and Eliza, who remembered exactly what had really transpired that night on the terrace, was riddled with guilt for her drunken behavior.

She felt obligated to make a statement, but even after she had, some of the gossip sites were still keeping the story alive.

"I think I finally convinced her that these kinds of stories just need time in order to die out." Jasper explained. "But I did warn her that once you two are back together on set; the gossip sites will have a field day for a while."

I sighed, knowing he was right.

We talked for a few more minutes about my schedule for the next week, then we said goodbye knowing that, barring some kind of emergency, the next time we'd speak would be in England.

I made my way silently to the bedroom, hoping that Bella was still in the shower, and that maybe I'd be able to join her.

Upon entering the bedroom, I was surprised to find her lying down, although she wasn't sleeping, as had become the norm lately whenever her body came in contact with a soft surface.

Instead, she was crying. Not merely crying, she was sobbing; deep gut-wrenching sobs of grief were emanating from her shaking form.

Somehow, I forced my legs to move, although I could barely feel them as I made my way over to her, trying and failing not to panic.

"Baby, what's wrong?" I could hear the frantic edge to my voice as I climbed onto the bed behind her. "Bella, please talk to me." I rubbed my hand along her upper arm, trying to soothe as she continued to sob into her pillow. "Did I do something wrong?"

A muffled 'no' sounded in response.

If it wasn't something I did…

"Bella, please," I begged. My heart was beating wildly in my chest as my mind spun out scenario after scenario of what could be wrong.

Did she hurt herself?

Was she in pain?

Was it the baby?

Oh God, were we going to lose the baby?

I had no clue how far away the closest hospital was…

Suddenly, going on this little excursion felt like the worst idea I'd ever had.

"Bella, you have to say something, I'm freaking the hell out here. Are you hurt?"

I probably should have, but I felt no sense of relief when she shook her head. The fact that she was still crying like her heart was breaking may have been a factor.

I gently pulled on her shoulder, nudging her to turn and face me. I needed to see her eyes.

"Please baby, do you want me to phone the doctor?"

"No, Edward, I'm fine," She wailed as she turned and looked up at me, blinking her red-rimmed eyes as her sobs slowed.

"Why are you crying?"

She closed her eyes and drew in a shaky breath. "I don't want to tell you."

"Baby I need to know, I'm going crazy." I was not above begging.

"I can't," she said in a pleading tone as the tears started to fall once again, "I'm embarrassed."

Embarrassed?

What the…?

"What are you talking about? Bella, you can tell me anything, baby. What's wrong?"

She sniffled loudly. "It's just that… when I came out of the shower, I noticed that mirror," she gestured weakly to a large mirror hanging on the wall beside the bathroom door. "There hadn't been any full length mirrors in the house in Paris, so I opened my robe to get a better look at how big my tummy had gotten…"

"Okay…" I was confused now, "I don't understand, Bella. How did the mirror cause you to cry like this?"

Her lips quivered again as fresh tears trailed down her cheeks. "Because…" she wailed. "I got," she gasped out a sob, "I saw… in the mirror… I have a… stretch maaaaaark..."

She held onto the last word so long, that it took a moment to comprehend what she had said. I gave her a puzzled look, but by that time she was crying into her pillow again.

"Bella," I spoke softly while turning her gently to face me. "Did you just say that you have a stretch mark?"

A high keening cry escaped her mouth as she nodded in answer.

"Baby, let me see," I started to pull the folds of her robe apart, but she grabbed my hands to stop me.

"No!"

"Bella, please," I coaxed, slowly but firmly pulling her hands away so that I could open her robe. 

She reluctantly let go.

This must be one hell of a stretch mark for her to carry on this way…

It was too dark in the room by this time to see properly, even with the light streaming through the bathroom doorway. I reached over to switch on the bedside lamp before turning back to inspect my wife's belly. Trouble was, I couldn't seem to find a mark.

"Where is it Bella?"

She sniffled and wiped her nose on the sleeve of her robe before pointing to the underside of her protruding belly, a little right of center. I leaned down closer, closer, and what I saw was a tiny purple line, maybe an inch or so long.

I looked up at her, disbelief coloring my tone, "That's it?"

She nodded.

"Bella, are you talking about that tiny little line no wider than my thumbnail?"

"A-huh," another sniffle.

And that was the moment when I forgot the most important rule of expectant fatherhood: Never laugh at something that has driven your hormonal wife to tears.

But, laugh I did. Not only did I laugh while lying beside her, I also opened my stupid mouth, allowing words to escape that made things even worse.

"Jesus, Bella. You had me scared to death. I thought it was something important. That little mark is nothing."

"Nothing?!" She wailed before pulling the robe closed and turning away from me; curling into a ball.

Oh shit…

I sprang into action, trying to repair the damage I'd caused. "Bella," I soothed while trying to pull her back to me. She stayed in her little ball, a snot-sobbing, hormonal mess. "Bella, please. I'm sorry. I was insensitive. But that little mark really is nothing." Her crying began to subside then, and after a couple of minutes she turned until she was lying flat on her back.

"I'm just afraid… the bigger I get… that you won't find me attractive anymore." Cue more sniffles. "And what if I get more marks?"

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Bella, you know me better than that. To me, you will always be the most beautiful woman in the world. Even now with your puffy eyes and red nose," I cradled her face between my hands and left a small kiss on top of her nose causing her to giggle.

"And that sound, your laughter, it's the most beautiful sound imaginable…" I opened her robe again and left a kiss on her protruding belly. "Come on, I'll rub some lotion on your skin."

She smiled then, the wave of negative emotions seeming to have passed.

Thank God.

I retrieved the jar of lotion from the bathroom and proceeded to coat her skin with it. When I had finished, I left my hand resting on her belly as I was wont to do, when suddenly I felt a slight nudge against my palm.

My eyes immediately sought out Bella's. Hers were wide and hopeful as she stared back at me.

"Was that…?"

I didn't get a chance to finish my question before she spoke. "You felt that?"

I nodded and swallowed hard, afraid to move or even breathe with the realization that, for the first time ever, I'd felt our child move.

This time, Bella's eyes filled with happy tears. "Congratulations, Daddy. Your baby just said hello."