Only Exception || C. Cullen ✓

t h i r t e e n

Christina anxiously bit her tongue, trying to keep from crying at the thought of the wolves coming to tear apart her family. She looked towards Annie, who was keeping Rosalie entertained in the kitchen, playing with dolls; and then looked down towards her stomach and Bella. There was no way she was going to allow anyone to touch her family; but she was useless when it came down to a fight. She can't risk her baby's life.

She gently placed Bella's head on the couch as she heard foot steps coming up the front stairs. She got up and met Emmett and Carlisle halfway to the door. The blond grabbed her hand as they stepped outside to meet Jacob stepping out of the trees.

"Sam was planning a surprise attack," Jacob stated as he stopped right before the door. "But he's lost the element of surprise since Seth and Leah decided to follow after me. He doesn't want to take you on outnumbered, so he's not going to come at you head on. He's got the place surrounded and he'll wait for his opportunity."

"We won't get through without a fight," Emmett muttered, crossing his arms against his chest.

"We won't be the ones to break the treaty." Carlisle shook his head.

"The treaty's void. At least in Sam's mind," Jacob muttered.

"Carlisle, half of us haven't hunted in weeks," Christina muttered softly, feeling her anxiety rise.

He tightened his hold on her hand. "We'll make do." He turned back towards the wolf with a nod. "You've done us a great service. Thank you, Jacob."

The wolf nodded once, accepting the gratitude before running back into the woods.

"Come on, let's get you something to eat," Carlisle muttered softly. The young mother nodded stoically as she followed after him, listening to the wolves cry out around the trees.

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        It was during Christina's inhale of steak that Bella cried out suddenly. Everyone got up and out of their seats as they made it to the living room, worried for Bella's safety.

Her inhales of breath were making a hissing noise as she gripped onto her right side. "I'm okay," she breathed.

Christina next down and lightly poked around Bella's ribs, until the girl in question gave another hiss of pain on a certain rib. "I think we should get you an x-ray," Christina muttered.

"I'll go set up the office." Carlisle took off upstairs, leaving Christina and Edward to help the pregnant girl up.

It didn't take long for Carlisle to take a few pictures and get them on a screen for Bella to see. Christina lowered her gaze after looking at the broken rib on the screen.

"Your rib is cracked," Carlisle explained, pointing to the rib in question. "But there are no splinters. You haven't punctured anything."

"Yet," Edward added. Christina sent over a glare towards him, which he purposely ignored.

"Edward," Carlisle reprimanded.

"It's breaking her bones, now," Edward snapped. He turned his black eyes towards his wife who was still laying on the bed. "It's crushing you from the inside."

"Edward, knock it off—"

"No," he snapped, interrupting Christina. "Carlisle, tell her what you told us earlier. Tell her."

Carlisle sighed sadly.

"Carlisle, tell me. It's alright," Bella whispered.

"The baby isn't compatible with your body. It's too strong. It won't allow you to get the nutrients you need. It's starving you by the hour. I can't stop it, and I can't slow it down. At this rate, your heart will give out before you deliver."

Bella didn't deter from Carlisle's words. "Then I'll hold on as long as I can, and then—"

"Bella," Carlisle shook his head. "There are some conditions that even venom can't overcome." He shut off the light for the X-ray. "I'm sorry."

Christina squeezed Bella's shoulder before sending a glare in Edward's direction. "I'll give you two a minute. Call me if you need me."

Christina walked towards her and Carlisle's room before plopping on the bed, and stared at the ceiling. She was starting to become worried that Bella was actually going to die. From the sounds of it, Edward was too. Her temper continued to flare as he listened to him chew her out. Her hands began to shake on her stomach as the whole house grew quiet from Edward's shouts.

"You've given me no choice! Bella, we're supposed to be partners, remember? But you decided this on your own. You've decided to leave me," Edward snapped.

"Don't see it that way—"

"Well, I have no other way to see it. Cause it's me who'll lose you. And I don't choose that." His footsteps could be heard walking away from Bella; and Christina got back up from the bed. "I don't choose that."

Christina met him walking away from the office, before she slammed him into the wall. Bella's cries could be heard from all over the house, as well as Christina and Edward's growls. Carlisle was fast in his movements as he pulled Christina off, and stepped in front of her. He wrapped an arm around her stomach, facing down at her angry eyes.

"You're a piece of shit," Christina growled, looking around Carlisle towards Edward. He was back to his stoic face as he looked back down at her. "You're just going to leave her to face this on her own, huh? Trying to throw being a partner in Bella's face— what have you done to show your partnership?"

He looked down at Christina's words.

"In sickness and in health, remember?" she mocked. "Or was that just a load of shit coming out of your mouth? You were so focused on Bella becoming a vampire that you didn't stop to realize she's still human—"

"I know that she's still human, it's why I wanted to wait until she was a vampire to—"

"Take some responsibility, Edward," Christina snapped. "She's not the only one that made that baby."

"You would know, wouldn't you?" Edward bit back.

Christina snarled.

"Alright, that's enough!" Carlisle barked. He sent a glare towards Edward, not happy with his words or his actions. "Christina's right. Take some sort of responsibility for what you've created. You seem to put a lot of blame on Bella for that baby."

Everyone was back to being quiet at Carlisle's tone. It was very rare that he lost his composer; but he wouldn't just stand around and let Edward talk that way towards his wife or children.

"Come on," Carlisle muttered softly, pushing Christina back towards the office to help Bella.

She turned around with one last glare. "If you weren't ready to be a husband, you shouldn't have proposed in the first place." With that, she turned around and lead Carlisle back to his office; leaving Edward to his thoughts.

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Christina's not happy with Edward— and honestly I wasn't either watching the movie or reading the book. So I don't blame her.