He cast a concerned glance at the love of his life where she clung to his side. "Do you want me to just ran us up to bed, sweetheart?" he asked.
"No," she replied tiredly. "That's okay. I can handle it, and besides, it won't be much longer now, and I'll finely be able to sleep." She had always known that Vampires absolutely did not care even the tiniest bit about wolves' sleeping schedules, but the last twenty-four hours had been the most grueling of her entire life. They had never before vanquished as many Vampires in one night as they had that night, and to make matters even worse, she had already been up since early morning the previous day. She was far beyond exhausted.
Jacob wrapped his arm around his wife, gently urging her thoroughly-fatigued body forward as she dragged herself up the long staircase. Her silence worried him, and he again asked her, "What about if I just carry you the rest of the way?" His concern grew as she remained silent. "Bella?" he questioned, turning his head to look into her eyes. They were open but seemed somehow both dizzy and vacant. Then, suddenly, she giggled. "What?" he asked, his concern increasing with each new second. "What is it?" She giggled again and, as they reached the house second floor, broke out into incessant giggles.
"Bella, what is it, what is so funny?" he asked again, icy fingers of dread beginning to coat his heart. She only giggled in answer, but then her fingers snaked out and began to tickle him. Her beautiful smile assured him that she was indeed all right and only somehow found a twentieth "second wind" even as he tried unsuccessfully to bat away her hands.
As she continued to dart her hands around his, mercilessly tickling him, he began to laugh even as he turned to continue trying to fight off her mischievous hands. For each backwards step he took, she advanced two steps closer to him. She could neither stop giggling nor tickling him, and her brown eyes sparkled as she continued the game. Soon, he was laughing hard as he made mad grabs for her hands. Finally catching her right hand, he was about to breathe a miniature sigh of relief when her left hand tickled his stomach so badly that his hand relinquished hers to bat away her naughty hand. "Bella!" he exclaimed between chuckles, tears shining in his eyes. She only continued to giggle, and he again exclaimed, "Bella!"
In response, she only giggled harder, but then she finally spoke. "Tickle! Tickle! Tickle!" she teased between giggles as her fingers sought to tickle him even more.
"Bella!" he tried again even as his mind struggled to accept his love's sudden silliness. His back suddenly pressed against their bedroom door, and she came even closer to him. He was laughing so hard that he could barely remain standing as his hand desperately sought the doorknob. Finally finding the knob, he turned it. As the door swung open, he fell in, stumbling blindly backwards until their bed collided with the back of his knees.
Jacob was knocked instantly to the bed, and she raced after him, still giggling incessantly. She pounced on the bed with a sharp exclamation of "Boingie!" Her dark eyes danced mischievously as she continued to bounce so hard that the bed creaked. "Boingie!" With each new bounce, she exclaimed again. "Boingie! Boingie! Boingie!"
Jacob looked at his wife in disbelief. Even when Bella was so incredulously silly, she was still the most beautiful creature he had ever had the honor of seeing, and she filled his every fiber with awe. "Okay," he decided aloud, his lips forming a thin, serious line as she bounced even harder on the bed. "That's it."
Bella barely had time to look up before Jacob grasped her, his speed and momentum sending them both falling down onto the bed. Her head hit the pillow, and she finally stopped giggling. "You asked for it," Jacob teased gently, his Brown eyes twinkling, "and you're going to get it." He leaned over her and reached down to capture her mouth with his, but just before his lips could touch hers, a loud snore escaped her mouth. His eyes widened, and his eyes cast hurriedly upwards only to find her eyes shut. "Bella?" he asked; she only snored again. He shook her and then tickled her, but nothing would bring any response from her.
Sighing and shaking his head in disbelief, Jacob rolled to a sitting position, leaned down, grasped their blankets, and pulled them up over them. Still shaking his head at Bella's sudden change, he quietly covered his beloved wife.
A hushed whisper suddenly came from the doorway. "She asleep?"
Jacob looked up to find Charlie's tired face peeking in at them. He nodded in answer.
"Is everything okay?" he asked in concern. "I heard Bella giggling . . . "
"Just what you warned me about," Jacob whispered quietly back. "I never would have thought that she could be so silly."
"Only when she's that tired," Charlie assured him. "I'll see you tomorrow, Jacob. Good night."
"Thanks, Charlie," he replied as he began to shut the door, "you too." As Charlie shut the door and continued on his way. Jacob laid down beside his soul mate, pulled the blankets up over his own body as well, gently wrapped his arm around his beloved wife, and cuddled up to her side. Just as Bella had done minutes earlier, Jacob fell asleep as soon as his head touched his pillow.