CH18: SECRETS

BELLA'S POV
I couldn't explain what was happening to me. When I got angry or overly emotional it was as if someone else was controlling me. Thankfully most days I was back to normal.
"Love," Edward called to me apprehensively. He was the one suffering more than me in my situation.
"It's okay, Edward, I'm not moody today. Well at least right now I'm not," I answered.
"Bella! Are you ready?!" I heard Alice call from downstairs. She arranged for all the girls to have a shopping day. For some odd reason she wanted to go all the way to Tacoma. Before I left, I made sure to kiss Edward. My sisters and Esme did the same with their husbands and then we were off; Rosalie didn't forget her darling little boy, of course. The guys would have a day out together, too, some male bonding. They were taking Rommel out to a more secluded area out of Forks so he could catch his first mountain lion.
Alice and Nessie were to drive with me and Rosalie drove her red mustang with Emmie and Esme.
"Ness, aren't you excited for an updated wardobe?! Spring is finally here! Oh, I have these FAB rompers for you in mind plus the white straped peeptoe wedges I bought online would tie everything together!!!"
Nessie was able to come with us because school let out for Spring Break. She'd return to school in May.
"I was looking online, too, and I found this adorable Hello Kitty sweater with cat ears on the hood;it practically has Emmie written all over it," Nessie added.
Their conversation droned on and on, my background music. With my hands on the wheel, I weaved through the spaces on the road to the mall in Tacoma. Rose was trailing close behind me.
I was too busy trying to figure out why Alice was acting so strangely around Edward. This usually meant she was hiding something from him, which was an obstacle for most members of our family. When we arrived at the Tacoma Mall, Alice was the one to pull me away.
"Bella," she whispered fiercely. "I know you know I'm hiding something. You have to understand that you're the only one I can trust with the information I have. Edward mustn't know, or else he'll tell everybody. Well at least for right now he shouldn't know."
I stared into my pixie-like sister's big, puppydog eyes.
"Alice what did you see? And why does it have to be so secret?" I asked back.
"You have to promise me you won't tell first."
I paused to think. If our family were in danger she would've spoken up by now.
"Fine, now what is it?"
She took a deep breath before she spoke. "Jasper and I are going to adopt," she answered, her eyes full of jubilance, her smile beaming with delight.
I gasped in response, completely caught off guard.
"Alice!" I exclaimed with our embrace. We were so happy that we were jumping up and down right there on the parking lot. The rest of the girls went ahead without us, eager to shop til they dropped.
"That's great! I'm so happy for you guys. It's about time you two started settling down," I joked.
"Yeah, well seeing Rose and you so motherly and such made me really introspect about my and Jasper's future," she replied, linking her arm with mine as we approached the mall's entrance.
"So wait, why do you want me to keep this a secret?" I prompted.
She skidded to a stop which caused me to halt abruptly as well. Clouds of worry replaced the twinkle in her eyes.
"Alice, what's wrong?" I asked frantically.
She started shaking her head, as if to get rid of the thought haunting her mind.
"That's the thing, Bella, I just know that for right now, we have to keep this a secret. I've seen my future with Jasper and my daughter. Like the both of us, she has a dark past, full of burdens. Jasper and I met because of fate, regardless of my seeing abilities," she urged.
"Now I'm not entirely sure because everything has been obscured, but I know that the Volturi is involved."
I hissed in response of their name. They were always interfering with my family's well-being.
"Are you telling me that they know you're going to adopt? That's why they're keeping her away from you? Perhaps in hopes of you joining them?" I asked.
"I don't think it's like that. Like I said, I'm not 100% sure; I just see her being a Cullen. I truly believe that she was brought into our world to be with Jasper and I. Plus I've seen how her 'father' treats her. He's basically how I imagined Zachary would be. She's not being loved and cared for. God knows what'll happen to her if her father goes through with sending her to Italy!" she cried.
My gut was telling me that this was a bad idea. It could be a trap, but then again Alice's visions almost always come true. And when my sister decides on something, there's no turning back.
"What if the Volturi are, indeed, involved? I mean her father wouldn't be sending her to them unless she has a gift that Aro wants," I replied.
Her brow creased in thoughfulness.
"That makes sense. It explains why everything has been a blur...or maybe its you and your silly mood swings!" she answered, coming back to her chipper-self. I had forgotten about my sudden abnormalities until now.
We laughed, coming into an expensive department store. Nessie had no trouble finding us.
"Momma where did you and Aunt Alice go? We already have 3 shopping bags filled for each of us!" she exclaimed.
"Nowhere, sweetie. We just wandered off a little to have a little talk, that's all."
"Okay. Now let's shop!" she roared as quiet as she could.

By the end of the day, we each had about 20 shopping bags in tow. I took advantage of Renesmee sleeping in the back of Edward's Volvo to ask Alice more questions.
"So when exactly are you going to adopt her. In fact, how are you going to adopt her?"
"It's not going to be anytime soon, most likely in the middle of the summer or earlier. As for the how, I haven't seen that yet."
"Does she have a name?"
"Jasper and I really like Ivee. Ivee Jade Cullen. Adorable, right?!"
"Totally! All these adoptions make me really want to have another little nudger," I said, poking my stone-hard stomach. Alice volunteered to drive home. As if my body understood my yearning, I felt movement in my lower abdomen. I gasped in astonishment, when I felt another kick.
"Momma, what's wrong?" Nessie asked, my gasp waking her.
With my head shaking incredulously I answered: "I swore I felt a kick in my stomach." I expected her to reassure that it was nothing to worry about but instead,she remained quiet.
"Renesmee?" I asked twisting in my seat. I found her fidgetting and looking around, avoiding my eyes.
"Ness, what's the matter? Do you know something I don't know?"
She cringed but eventually answered me.
"Well when I was at Mia's after school one day, I told her about how you were acting really weird and she said that you might be pregnant," she muttered under her breath.
Just then Alice made a sudden turn and the next thing I knew we were on the side of the road, away from the freeway. I wasn't aware that she could drive and have a vision at the same time.
"BELLA!" she cried.
"What? What happened, Aunt Alice?!"
"I don't know how its even possible, but inconceivably, your mother is-"
"I'm pregnant?" I whispered in complete disbelief, my hand almost instinctively clutching my now growing stomach.
The car was filled with thoughtful silence. And to think Alice was the one who was going to be a mother.
"We have to keep this to ourselves," I said, breaking the stillness in the air.
"Okay, if that's what you want," Alice said, her 'deal-making' expression lingering on her face. We both had secrets we had to keep now.
"I'll try my best to keep this from daddy. But I think we really should visit Poppa's friend. I think he mentioned something about him knowing everything about the vampire world, hybrids and all," Nessie suggested.
I nodded, agreeing.
"Let's head back now, we don't want anyone worrying."
With that, Alice returned to the road and off we went, hauling our secrets with us.