Um wow, sooo, this chapter was not what I was expecting it to be. Usually, I know ahead of time, but I think with this story, my character are hiding and revealing as they see fit. Because boy did this chapter fly off the deep end with where I thought it was going. No lemons, but PLENTY of drama. Geez.
*Disclaimer*
Please Enjoy!
RPOV
Floating up out of the darkness, I was aware of two things.
One, my back was freaking hot.
Two, my front was freezing.
Shivering, something tightened around me.
"I got you, Ness. Doc? She's covered." Jacob.
Too tired to open my eyes or stay conscious long, I tried to figure out where I was before I went back under.
A hand landed on my head. "Well, it seems her temperature is going down." Then a hand reached out to grip mine. But there was something odd about the feeling. And a tinkling noise sounded as my arm was lifted. I knew the sound. "Her pulse is slowing." And then my arm was put back into the icy cold…water. I was in water. A bath. "Keep her in for another few minutes. I'll send Bella up to help you get her back to the bed."
"Thanks. Hey, can you get Mara to be waiting for us?"
"Of course."
The water sloshed as Jacob moved us. He tightened his hold on me again before something was peeled from the front of my body. "It's okay, baby. I got you," he whispered.
With that promise, I sank back down into the darkness.
JPOV
We finally got Nessie back into the bed. In the tub, I knew she'd come to for just a moment before slipping back down. She was coming back to me. While the two women situated her, I stood there with a towel around my waist. The cold water barely affected me, especially with Nessie pressed against me.
Once Nessie was situated, Bella stepped back to let Mara run her hands above my wife's body. After a few swipes, Mara frowned.
"What is it?" I demanded.
She shook her head, her white and purple hair brushing over her shoulders. "There is no illness that I can find." She put her hands back over Nessie's stomach. "Though there is something here."
"What?"
"I don't know. It seems faint for now. Something tells me it won't remain that way. I need to speak with Carlisle."
And then she was gone before I could stop to ask her anything. She'd found something and knew something she wasn't telling me. Bella came up to me, putting her hand on my arm.
"We'll figure this out. Do you want Will and Jules brought up after you get dressed? They've been fed. It's naptime. I figured you'd like to sleep a little. Edward and I will watch over her."
Letting out a shaky breath, I turned to her. "Bells-,"
Her expectant stare turned to sympathy. She wrapped her arms around me even though I was only in a towel. I hugged her back hard.
"I know, Jacob. You're scared. So am I. But Nessie is Edward's daughter. And your wife. She has two babies. She'll be fine and come back to us."
"I can't lose her," I said, my voice cracking. "I just can't."
"I know." Her hands smoothed up my back in a motherly gesture. "I'll bring the kids up. Maybe their presence will help. Get dressed. I'll be back in a moment."
I nodded and she left. Going to the closet, I pulled down a pair of sweats, dried off, and stepped into them. As promised, a moment later, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in."
The door opened and my kids burst into the room. "Daddy!"
Choking back the emotion, I knelt down and let them run into my arms. I hugged them hard as they clung to me. Will was the one shaking the most. Jules was just seeking comfort. Picking them up, I went to the recliner.
"Thanks, Bells."
She smiled and shut the door behind her.
"Mommy!" Will yelled as Nessie came into view.
"Shh, Mommy's sleeping. We gotta be quiet."
"Otay."
I settled back into the chair with both of them. When I pulled out the recliner, they both settled back on top of me and curled up on my chest and shoulders. I'd purposely left off a shirt so that my warmth would comfort them. They were the children of a werewolf, and wolves liked skin on skin contact for comfort.
Across my chest, Jules reached out to take her brother's trembling hand. Tearing up, I kept praying that Nessie would surface again. If not for me, then for her children. Stroking my daughter's hair and my son's back, I fell into a very uneasy sleep.
Sometime later, I woke up to the sound of voices.
"I don't know exactly what I felt. I just know that something is off."
"Well, that's what this ultrasound is for."
"Is Jacob okay with this?"
A machine starting up sounded. It was familiar.
"Jacob will do anything it takes to help her. He'd agree with anything I suggest."
Carlisle and Mara.
Jules and Will were still passed out on my chest. With a sigh, the recliner eased up. After I stood up, I gently settled the two babies down on the set of the recliner, their legs stretching out over the footrest. I pulled a blanket over them and kissed their cheeks.
"I don't believe it," Carlisle whispered.
I turned around to find that he had the ultrasound machine out, the wand moving over Nessie's abdomen. Mara's hands were hovering over the wand.
"What is it you don't believe, doc?"
Carlisle turned from the screen to me where I was standing next to the bed holding Nessie's hand. She looked much better. Her skin had a healthy flush, and it was no longer burning.
"Jacob, when was her last period?"
Not the question I'd been expecting. But at least I knew the answer. "A week or so ago."
"Do you know if it was normal?"
I frowned. "You mean, was she down for the count like she usually is?"
He nodded.
"Yeah. Usually she has one day where she can't really do anything. I remember that one because it was a day that I didn't have to go into the shop."
"Do you know if she's missed a period?" He studying me with sharp eyes.
With this weird subject, I tried to think back over the past few months. "No, not that I can think of. I'd need her phone. She keeps up with it. Ever since we started being intimate."
"I believe Shelby has it. I'll go retrieve it," Mara said.
"Thanks." I turned to Carlisle. "Are you asking me this because you think she's pregnant?"
He looked back at the screen. "Jacob, I don't think she is. I know she is. Her blood test confirmed it, though it didn't present straightforward as pregnancy. Now that I'm seeing the ultrasound, I know that's what the test was showing."
I looked down at Nessie's face and moved down her body, stopping where the wand was. "Is it possible that she didn't miss her period being pregnant?"
Slowly, in jerky movements, he shook his head. "Not this time."
"What do you mean?"
The door opened again and Mara strode in, holding out Nessie's cell phone. I swallowed hard at her background picture. It was one of the four us playing in the leaves outside. Quickly, I moved to her calendar and sifted through the months. Month after month, I saw the letter "P" to indicate her period. And then I showed Carlisle.
"She hasn't missed. Now tell me why you're not that composed."
Reaching out, he pointed at the screen on the machine. "You see this?"
I nodded.
His finger moved across the screen to another dot. "And this?"
I nodded again, frowning. "One baby?"
He shook his head. "Two. Twins, Jacob. She definitely should have missed a period."
Twins? That gene had to have come from me with Rachel and Rebecca as my sisters. I knew that twins ran in families. "Okay, she didn't. Why do you look so rattled?"
"Because she didn't miss. Was two nights ago the first time you were intimate after her most current cycle?"
I nodded. Mara had moved back around to put her hands over Nessie. "Yeah."
"Jacob, by what I'm seeing here, she's at least six weeks pregnant. Twins don't show up until four to six."
Finally, what he was saying clicked. "Wait. You're telling me that we conceived two nights ago and she's four to six weeks along?"
"Yes. That is what I'm telling you. I'd wager to bet that she'll miss November's cycle."
"That's not possible, doc."
His look was thoughtful. "It may not be logical to us since we are aware of what a normal pregnancy should be. But in Nessie's case…Will was normal except for the blood. Jules, however, was not. She developed quickly in the womb."
"But this fast?"
"Jacob, I've said this before. Anything with Nessie and you is possible."
Shaking my head, I tried to clear it and stay focused. "Okay. Let's say she's pregnant again. With twins. How does this tie in with the way she is right now?"
"Do you remember that I said it seemed as if she had the flu?"
"Yeah."
"Many women, when they become pregnant, get the flu. Something to do with their immune systems. With the quick development of the babies, her body tried to defend itself, but instead gained flu-like symptoms when it decided not to fight off the babies."
I looked down at her. "So this is her equivalent of a human woman getting pregnant?"
"Yes. I believe that once her body reconciles with itself and what's growing inside her, she'll wake up. She's already come to consciousness a couple of times."
Before my knees gave out, Mara must have sensed it. She pulled over a chair just before I collapsed in shock. Twins. Staring at Nessie, wishing I could be put in her place instead, I said, "So what does this mean for us? I mean, do you think this is going to be Bella's pregnancy all over again?"
This time around, Carlisle wasn't giving out reassurances. And that terrified me to a point that my blood ran cold.
He looked solemnly down at Nessie after putting up the equipment. "I wish I could give you a better diagnosis, Jacob. Really, I do. But she is, indeed, pregnant again. In two nights, they've developed to four to six weeks. If it's this fast now?"
"But Jules slowed down."
"That's true and that's what we should hope for with these two. But I can't assure you that that's what will happen. Something is telling me that it won't." He came around the bed and placed a hand on my shoulder. "As her grandfather and doctor, I'm telling you to be prepared. Neither of her pregnancies have been the same. There's no telling what this one has in store." He looked to Mara. "We'll let you have some time."
"Thanks."
As soon as they were gone, I turned not to Nessie, but to Will and Jules still asleep on the recliner. Man, twins. Two more babies. How would the two of them react to the new additions? Four children. I was going to be a dad four times over. Definitely a full house. And I was totally glad for the new SUV. I looked back to Nessie. How fast would the babies grow? Would she be able to handle it, or would her body continually knock her out to protect her?
There was a knock on the door.
"Yeah?"
Shelby came in a moment later. She gave me a soft smile, glancing at Jules and Will asleep. Coming over to me, she rubbed my shoulders. "How ya doin'?"
"Pregnant," I answered.
Her gasp was quiet but spoke volumes. She knelt by me, her eyes earnest and worried. "Is that what Carlisle said?"
I nodded. "Twins. I saw them myself."
She looked up at her best friend lying so still on the bed. "Twins?" she whispered. "And that's why she passed out?"
"He thinks that we conceived two nights ago and that she's about four weeks along. With that quick development, symptoms of the flu hit her hard and fast. The fever made her pass out." I met her eyes. "She never missed a period, Shelbs. Not according to her phone. And I know she didn't miss October."
She nodded. "Yeah, I know. We women talk." Sitting down hard on the floor, she swallowed hard. "God, twins?"
It seems all I was doing was nodding. "I can't say I'm surprised now that I think about it. My sisters are twins. And from biology, I remember the teacher saying that the gene runs in families. It should skip a generation and since my mom had it, neither I nor my sisters should have it."
"You mean it shouldn't be active. To pass it on, you have to carry it. Nessie doesn't have a history of twins anywhere?"
This time I could actually change it up and shake my head. "Nope."
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her glance over at Jules and Will. "I wonder how they'll take to new brothers or sisters."
"Me, too. I think they'll be okay, as long as we can divvy up our time." Getting up, I walked over to the ultrasound machine. There was a printed picture of what I had seen on the screen. Sitting back down with it, I stared at the two spots that were my kids.
Shelby got to her knees to look at it with me.
"So where's Seth?"
She had to swallow through her own emotion. "Uh, he took Brayden and Piper to see his mom and Charlie. He promised to tell them about Ness. They'll probably be over later."
I stroked the picture. "Good deal."
"Have you eaten anything since yesterday?"
"No, and I'm not hungry. But thanks."
She stood up, and put her hand on my shoulder. Her expression was motherly. "Listen, it won't do your kids any good to see their father pass out from low blood sugar. You need to choke something down. I'll just make you a sandwich, okay?"
After a moment, I conceded. "Okay. Yeah. Thanks."
The moment the door closed, I was so grateful for Shelby that I really didn't know how to express it. Though she was still pushy, it was in such a way that I knew she was doing it to protect us from ourselves instead of looking like a bitch.
She came back about ten minutes later and stayed to watch me eat. When I was done, she left, saying that she'd send out a pack-wide text if I needed her to do so. I'd told her that would be great because I was still in shock and couldn't quite process the whole twin thing yet.
Now, a half hour later, after sitting in the near dark with nothing but the soft breathing of my family for noise, I jumped when, across the room, on the counter, my phone started ringing. I darted out of the chair and fumbled for it.
"Hello?" I whispered.
"Jacob?"
"Cricket?"
There was silence before the girl broke out sobbing. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I should have been watching her more."
Sitting back down after checking on my kids, I said, "Slow down. What are you talking about?"
"Nessie. I should have been watching her. I just now got the message. How is she?"
Leaning back, I popped my neck on both sides. "Still out, but better. The fever went down."
"Good." She seemed to be getting a hold of herself, breathing deeply.
"Cricket, this isn't your fault. You can't watch us twenty-four/seven."
There was silence. "But that's why you kept me around, because I'm useful."
"Cricket, listen to me. We don't let people stay around because they're useful. You're a friend. And I wasn't expecting you to watch us now that you can select your visions. All of that was totally up to you. We – I – appreciate what you did for Nessie a few years ago. You saved her life. But you watching for us is not your job."
Even over the phone, I could hear her collect her smart wit and sarcasm. "Fine, Kujo. But at least let me tell you what I see now."
"Go for it."
"I know Mara has some prophetic ability, but mine is further-reaching. So, I can tell you that Nessie and the babies will make it through. The pregnancy will be rough and tough, and definitely fast. Faster than Jules."
"How fast is fast, Cricket?"
"February, I think," she said softly.
I sat back heavily in the chair, rubbing my palm over my mouth in disbelief. "Three months? She'll give birth in three months?"
"Yes, or close to. And there's something else."
Now I was gripping the phone so hard it was creaking. "What?"
"You need to leave Forks. With twins, she'll be craving too much blood."
For a moment, I stopped breathing. Leave Forks? "Where are we supposed to go?"
There was shifting on the other end. "Well, if my inner eye serves me right, you should talk to your uncle-in-law. Emmett."
"Emmett?"
"Yes. I don't know why. But he's the link between you and somewhere tropical-like. And Jacob? You need to move as fast as possible before she can't be cleared to fly or travel. These babies will start growing very fast. Especially when blood gets into her system. Now, I need to get off this phone. She's about to wake up. Call me when you can."
The line went dead a moment later.
A sound brought my attention to the bed. "Nessie!" Shooting up, I took her hand as her eyes opened. She was elevated so that we were eye level with me bending over her. I stroked her hair back. "Hey, baby."
Her smile was weak but relief flooded me anyway. She was really here this time. "Hey," she said in a voice even weaker than her smile. And then she frowned, swallowing hard. "What happened?"
I just kept stroking her hair and fought tears. "You passed out while I was down at the rez talking to Tricia. Sudden onset of the flu apparently." I really didn't want to tell her right now that she was pregnant and with twins, at that. "A high fever just hit you hard."
"Will?"
"He's okay, I guess. Still shaky, but okay. He never left your side."
That made her smile again. "Such a momma's boy."
"Yeah. They're both passed out in the recliner over here."
The smile warmed to that of a mother thinking about her children. But then she frowned again. "What caused the flu?"
Damn. I closed my eyes. "We can talk about that later, okay? When you're feeling better."
She was really starting to wake up. Pushing herself up on the bed more, she made it clear that she was sitting up on her own and gave me a look. "Jacob, I deserve to know. It's my body."
Knowing I wouldn't win, I went for bargaining. "Let Carlisle look you over first. And then I'll tell you. Please."
Her eyes softened and her hand tightened around mine. "Alright. I suppose I can live with that."
I kissed her forehead before going to the door. Poking my head into the hallway, I said, "Doc, I know you heard that."
He was there two seconds later forcing me to jerk back "Sorry," he said. "I just want to see her awake."
Moving aside, I let him in. "Just be quiet, please. The kids are still out."
"Of course." We shared a look that was "don't tell her, I want to" and "alright", before he went to the bedside. He smiled down at her. "Hey, sweetie."
Her smile was tired but stronger. "Hey, grampa."
"I'm just going to take your vitals. Make sure everything's working right."
Nodding, she let him go to work, but kept her eyes on me. I gave the bed some space so he could move around. He checked her temperature, breathing, pulse, and blood pressure.
"It seems that everything is back to normal. The fever is gone. Hopefully for good. No concussions that I can detect from falling either."
I shook his hand on his way out. "Thanks, doc."
He smiled and nodded before leaving.
"Talk, Jacob. I saw that look, the one that means you're keeping something from me."
Geez. She knew me too well. Sighing, I went over to sit back down in the chair, thinking over what all Cricket and Carlisle both had said, and picked up the ultrasound picture that had fallen on the floor at some point.
"What is that?"
Silently, I handed it to her.
Taking it, she tilted it toward the light filtering through the curtains. "I don't understand. What is this? A tumor or something?"
When she looked at me, I took a deep breath. "No, sweetie. Each of those dots…is a baby."
Her eyes darted back to the picture. Back to me. Then to the picture. Her free hand touched her lower belly.
"Twins?" she whispered.
I nodded. "Twins."
I was waiting for her to make the connection between being pregnant again and not having missed her period. I could just see the mental wheels turning as she struggled to process what she was hearing and seeing and feeling.
"But…but…" she stuttered. "I just had my period. Two weeks ago. I mean, it's too early for any symptoms let alone an ultrasound." She turned back to me, and I knew my expression wasn't hidden well. "Jacob, what is going on?"
Moving to the edge of the seat, I lifted a hand to stroke her cheek. "Sweetie, Carlisle says that you seem to be four to six weeks along. And with twins, you should have definitely missed a period. So, with that, he believes we conceived them two nights ago, the first time we were intimate after your recent cycle."
Eyes filling with tears, she looked back at the photo in the exact same way she had with Will and Jules. That motherly love already there. Only this time, I couldn't bring myself to feel as lovey-dovey considering how bad she'd already scared me carrying them.
"Is this even possible?" she whispered.
"Yes. I mean, think about how fast Jules grew. This is totally possible because we aren't human." Moving my hand to her chin, I turned her head so that she was forced to look at me. "There's more."
"Tell me."
"Just before you woke up, Cricket called me."
"And? Just spill, Jake. I don't feel up to pulling teeth."
I grinned for a second before it died down. "She said that you and the babies were going to make it out on the other end okay. But she also said that this pregnancy was going to be rough…and fast."
"How fast?" she asked, zeroing in on the most important part immediately.
"About three months."
She gasped, hand going to her stomach again.
"Nessie, we have to leave Forks."
Her eyes were sharp when they landed on me again. "What?"
"Cricket said we have to leave Forks. And that we do soon. Your blood intake is going to skyrocket. We can't stay here, and we have to move before it's too late for you to travel."
Now she looked practically frantic. "Well, where are we supposed to go?"
"She said that Emmett would know. Whatever that means."
"Uncle Emmett," she practically yelled.
"Baby, please. The kids are still asleep."
Turning, she looked over her shoulder. Her expression melted. "Sorry. I just…I don't understand, Jacob. This is…"
I gripped her hand and went back to stroking her cheek. "I know, baby. I know. Carlisle just told me a couple hours ago. I can't believe it either. But I trust him. And Cricket." When the panic remained, I looked her in the eye and said, "I am not leaving you, okay? Remember, we're in this together."
Leaning back into the bed, she took a deep breath. "Okay. Yeah, I know that. Just…wow." Her hand found her belly again. "I can't believe we're here again. I thought that maybe for once my dream was wrong. Maybe we were destined for only two. Now we have two more on the way. I was only planning for possibly one more."
"I know. Me, too. But we can do this. Will and Jules can practically take care of themselves," I said with a chuckle. "We'll get through this. All of us."
There was a knock at the door as Nessie smiled at me with all kinds of grateful.
"Come in," Nessie said still staring at me.
Emmett and Rosalie were standing next to the bed a heartbeat later. "You wanted to see us?" he asked with a smile.
Rosalie was glowing. Laughing, Nessie handed her the ultrasound picture. She took it greedily and sighed over the two spots. I would never understand women and first ultrasound photos. I mean, it wasn't even baby-shaped. More like a grain of rice. Or a peanut.
"Yeah," I said, shaking my head at Rosalie. "What was Cricket talking about that you would know where we could go? I know you heard that conversation. Or asked Edward about it when you heard your name."
For once Emmett actually looked nervous about something. "Well, uh, for your anniversary present, Rose and I bought you something."
"Uncle Emmett," Nessie said suspiciously, eyeing her uncle. "What is this something?"
The couple shared a look before Rosalie bent back to the photo pretending to be too busy to answer the question.
Emmett rolled his eyes, and then just dived in. "We bought you an island, okay?"
Silence…silence…silence…possibly some crickets…
"You did what?!" Nessie squawked. So loudly that Will and Jules woke up. After Rosalie said she got it, Nessie lowered her voice. "You did what?" she hissed.
Now Emmett was grinning. "We bought you an island," he said as if that were the reaction he was looking for from us. "Figured you and Jake would like an isolated place to kick it and leave us with the kidlets."
Nessie and I stared at each other in dumbfounded silence.
Nessie put a hand to her forehead. "I can't…you…what…"
I just rested my elbows on my knees and blinked down at the floor. "Wow…"
And then Jules appeared in front of me. The leftovers of her Halloween make up were smudged all over her cheeks. Her hair was an array of frizzy curls around her shoulders.
"Hi, Daddy." Easily, she pulled my clasped hands apart so she could stand between my legs and lean against my thigh. She was biting her lip just like Nessie did while she watched her mother, aunt, and uncle.
Flipping my hands over, she placed her tiny palms in mine and put her back to my chest. Like every other kid, she moved around, unable to stand perfectly still.
I kissed the top of her head. "Hey, baby. Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah-huh."
Will came to stand in front of her. He took her face in his hands, leaned in, and kissed her forehead sloppily.
Nessie giggled, putting her hands over her mouth, her astonishment forgotten in the face of our kids' cuteness.
Giggling, Jules scrunched up her face and said, "Ewww. 'ill kiss me, Daddy."
Laughing into her hair, I said, "I see that. You gonna kiss him back?"
She shook her head so vigorously, her curls bounced. "Nuh-uh."
We all laughed as she put her head down in fake shyness and pressed back into me.
I looked up at Emmett, and held my hand out. "Thank you. Though we really wish you hadn't, we'll be gracious about it. And instead of using it for private couple time, we'll break it in with tense, family time."
He took my hand and laughed. "You're welcome."
"I want my family to come with us."
I looked to Nessie.
She shrugged. "I haven't spent enough time with everyone. And I miss the Cullen time, you know?"
I looked to Emmett. "You had something built, didn't you?"
He nodded. "Yup. We were planning for a gaggle of kids so, it's pretty big. Two floors. Six bedrooms. Four baths. One in the master."
Looking back to Nessie, I said, "Mara and Cricket come with. If they want. I would say Shelby and Seth, too, but I need someone here with the pack."
"I can do that."
We all turned to the door. Walker was standing there with Christa and Haleigh.
Jules brightened up. "E-e!" And rushed out to hug Haleigh. Will followed his sister with less enthusiasm.
Walker came into the room. "With Embry's help, I can watch over your pack for you. Bianca is my second for a reason. She can watch over ours."
I stood up. "Are you sure?"
"Ness needs her best friend. And Shelby won't go anywhere without Seth or kids. I can handle it. It's not like your whole pack is going. Embry and Sam will be there if I need anything."
Christa walked over to Nessie, who showed her the ultrasound. I moved to Walker with my hand out. He took my forearm and I grasped his.
"Thank you. They may not go, but thank you."
"Do you really think you're leaving me behind?"
I knew that tone. Laughing, I turned to Shelby and Seth. Her arms were crossed over her stomach, eyebrows raised. After a moment, she laughed. "Of course. If you'll want me there."
"Don't even think about backing out," Nessie said viciously. "I am about to grow two babies really fast. I need you."
She grinned around me. "Then consider me there already waiting for you."
Seth nodded to me over his mate's head. "And you need support, too, Jacob."
Carlisle came in beside them. "I'm already having equipment sent out. If we leave in the next couple days, we can drive instead of fly. And then take a boat out to the island." He looked to Nessie. "Will you feel well enough?"
She shrugged surrounded by the females. "I do already. Maybe a couple more hours of sleep. But yeah."
All of us exchanged glances and nods.
It was settled. In a few days, we'd be packing up to leave Forks for some island that had been gifted to me and my family. I needed to tell Billy and my sisters. They weren't going to be happy. Most likely, the babies would be born on that island. I wasn't going to kid myself into the thinking we'd get Ness back home if she wouldn't be fit to travel later. Nessie had to know that, too. I knew she wanted all her kids born here, but that just wasn't going to happen.
But as long as she and the babies were safe, I didn't care where my kids were born.
WalkerPOV
Man, twins. I'd thought Jake and Nessie were done having kids. Apparently not.
"I can't really believe it," Christa said, echoing my thoughts, as I drove us out of Forks. "But I suppose it makes sense."
"How so?"
She shrugged, her thumb rubbing over my knuckles where we held hands. "Jacob's sisters are twins."
"Ah." I turned us down the drive to the huge plot of land that now belonged to me and my pack. The drive wound through the woods, discouraging unwanted visitors.
"You didn't tell him," she said softly.
I sighed. "I couldn't. I mean, did you see how worried he already is? He just learned that his wife passed out because of the two new babies she's carrying. I'd be stressed to the max, too. He's excited but worried."
"Daddy?"
I looked in the rear view mirror. "Yes, sweetheart?"
"I'm hungry."
"We're almost home, baby girl. What do you want?"
"Pasketti."
She met my eyes in the mirror and I gave her the "uh-uh" look. "We talked about using your words correctly. How do you say it?"
She huffed a breath but said, "Spaghetti."
"Good girl. It's important that you know how to speak, Haleigh. You're not in an actual school, but you need to know how to interact with outsiders."
"Okay, Daddy. I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry. Just think about what you want to say before you speak, okay?"
"Okay." She wasn't happy that she'd been scolded. And I hated that she felt like she was in trouble.
"Hey, ladybug," I said, looking in the mirror. When she looked at me, I said, "What do you say Daddy makes us a giant ice cream sundae after dinner?"
That brightened her up. "Okay!"
"Alright."
Settling back in my seat, I looked over to find Christa trying to not to smile. "What?"
She rolled her eyes but grinned anyway. "You're terrible. And cute." She squeezed my hand. "It was very good of you to watch over Jacob's pack. And I love you for it."
I smirked and shrugged. "We're all family. And Nessie needs Shelby. You'd want Morgan with you. And Jacob will need Seth. We're just a big support group."
Pulling through the village of cabins, members of the pack smiled and waved. We waved right back. Haleigh lowered her window and said hi to everyone. As we pulled up to our cabin, I frowned. Embry's truck was pulled up to it.
"What is he doing here? I thought he had to work?"
Parking and hopping out, I got a whiff of pissed off as both Tricia and Embry opened their doors. It was Embry wearing that particular scent. His jaw was hard and clenched, muscles tight. Tricia's expression was one I knew very well. It was that "I'm right and you aren't changing my mind" expression. I rarely won a fight when she wore that expression.
Sensing that this was not going to be a kid friendly convo, I turned to Haleigh. "Why don't you go play while Mom fixes dinner?"
She was big enough now at nine years old to jump out of the truck by herself. "Okay, daddy. Garrett's visiting and wants to play kickball." Giving me a quick hug she took off. "Love you, both!" Her long braids flew out from behind her while she ran. Now she was too old for her favorite dolls. Watching her run in her jeans and sweater tightened my heart. At nearly twenty-one, I never thought I'd be worrying about my nine year old daughter and boys. I felt so old.
"Be careful!" Christa shouted. "Don't go too far into the woods!"
Haleigh turned and grinned, running backwards. "I won't, Momma!"
Christa put a hand on my arm, giving me the look that said she knew how I was feeling. Our six year old little girl was no longer so little. Soon she'd be a teenager. Hell, Garrett, the son of an alpha couple to the south of Forks, already was. And he was an attractive kid. I was kind of dreading her getting older.
We'd started up a small classroom to educate the young ones. Some of the adults were gifted in certain areas. They would take turns teaching that subject. Garrett, and some of the others from Calahan's pack, had wanted to join in since the pack leader didn't believe in schooling about the outside world. Garrett was always up here. His visits were more like staycations. He rarely went back home unless Calahan called him back for pack business. At fourteen, he was being groomed to take over as pack leader when he turned either eighteen or twenty-one, though the packs considered young ones adults at sixteen. Christa had talked Emma, Garrett's mother, into giving him more time to learn under his father. Most of the teen girls here had a crush on him, and the older women were charmed by him. He stayed in a cabin with the single males. Every time I'd encountered him, he'd been nice and respectable.
And I was pretty sure he had a thing for Haleigh. Even though my paternal instincts would grind my teeth, I never found him inappropriate with her, which saved his ass. I'd been told that pack males could take a mate at sixteen as long as the female of his choosing had started her monthly cycles. Haleigh was nine, and according to Christa, could start at any time since she had a good percent of body fat to her. That had made me groan. Not something, as a dad, I wanted to know. But something I needed to know. Once he got closer to sixteen and he still showed signs toward her, I'd have a chat with him. No way was my daughter mating that early. No way. No how. Nuh-uh. Not happening. I didn't care if he was the son of an alpha.
Sighing, I turned away from the prospective future to the current one. "Hey, guys. What's up?"
If Embry's lips were any tighter when he spoke, they'd snap off. "My dear wife has something she'd like to talk to you about." He enunciated every word.
Tricia's eyes met mine with cool determination. Uh-oh. We were in for a doozy. Gripping Christa's hand, I moved toward the front door. "Alright, let's troop in. Something tells me this should be done inside."
We walked inside the roomy cabin. There unopened packages everywhere. Some addressed to me. Some to Christa. And, surprisingly, a lot for Haleigh. As the daughter of an alpha and almost to "mating age", she was a prized commodity. A lot of sons of alphas were going to be trying to woo her in hopes to create an alliance between the packs. Apparently, a lot of packs wanted to be allied to those who helped to force the Volturi into a retreat. So not gonna happen anytime soon.
"Holy crap," Tricia said as she followed us in. "What the hell is all this?"
"Gifts," I answered, slipping out of my jacket. "It's a my-kind-of-wolf thing. But you're not here to talk about me."
Christa shucked her jacket and went into the kitchen to fire up dinner.
When Tricia followed to help, Embry barred her way with an angry expression. "I'll help. You talk."
While he stalked off, I raised my eyebrows and looked to my sister. Marriage looked good on her. Though she and Embry were clearly fighting, she still had that love sparkle in her eye.
Christa and Embry started mumbling in the kitchen. She was trying to get him to go sit down, but he replied that he needed his hands doing something or he was going to go ballistic. Well, if that wasn't a clue…
"Why don't we go talk in the office first?"
She nodded. "Good idea. He's already pissed enough."
She followed me down the hall into the room I'd made into an office. It was piled with papers, bills mostly for the electricity and such, and letters from other pack leaders. Christa was a godsend. She organized everything so that the desk was neat and everything filed away. Instead of sitting behind the desk, I sat in one of the chair in front of it. She sat across from me.
"Wanna tell me what he's so mad about? You made a decision about something and he doesn't like it."
Crossing her arms and one leg over the other, she sighed out a huge breath. "No, he's not happy." Her eyes met mine. "Walker, I want to be like you."
I frowned. "How do you mean?"
"A werewolf."
At first, I just stared at her in shock. And then my mind clicked. Bursting up from my chair, I paced around, hands in my hair. "You want what?! No. Absolutely not. God, Tricia, what are you thinking? Why would you want this?"
"Walker-,"
"No, Tricia! I can't even believe you would say something so stupid."
She flinched.
Stopping, I put my hand on my hips and faced her. "Why? Why do you want this?"
She turned to me, eyes pleading for me to understand. "Put yourself on my shoes. What of you were human-"
"I was, Tricia. I was human."
"Okay well, think back to that. If you were still human and with Christa, knowing she could live past a normal lifespan, would want to force her to stop phasing and age with you, leaving Haleigh behind? Would you want to watch her age knowing you could have done something to stop it? Children of the Moon live a long time. I did my research on it. I would have a lot more time with Embry."
Unable to disagree with her, I tried to change it up. "That's all very noble and romantic, Tricia, but Embry knew you were human when he imprinted and married you. He knew what he was getting into and what would happen. He's okay with it. Why would you do this to him? Maybe he wants to grow old with you. Have you ever thought of that?"
Something flashed across her eyes and I knew she hadn't.
I went to kneel in front of her. "Don't do this to yourself, Tricia. Please. Go be normal like Emily. Sam isn't complaining. In fact, he's enjoying being retired. He likes not dealing with problems. Maybe Embry just wants to retire eventually, too, and work on cars the rest of his life. Tricia, it's not like, once he stops phasing, you'll be excluded. Sam and Emily still go to events. They still go to the bonfires. It is a natural part of living. If we hadn't ever gotten mixed up in their world, we would have met and married normal people who don't shift or phase. And we never would have batted an eye at something like fate. Just gone on to live our lives. You can't-," And I shut my trap, but knowledge flickered across her eyes.
I'd almost had her changing her mind, but now, her jaw tightened, lips thinned out. "You were about to say that I can't handle it. Weren't you?"
I pressed my lips together before I spoke. "Tricia, I know and understand why. And I'd have to agree with you. But the pain…I've never felt anything so awful, even when I don't fight it."
She stood up, ripping her hand out of mine. "Now you're grasping at straws. Look, Jacob told me that I'd have his support if I talked to you and Embry first. I have done that."
Without a word, I stalked out of the room and back toward the kitchen. Embry turned to face me with the same anger in his eyes that I knew I was sporting. "What the fuck?" I demanded.
He shook his head. "If he and Nessie weren't going through some shit, I'd be up in his face right now." His eyes went behind me to Tricia. "But your lovely sister decided to use their issues to cover her ass. She knew I wouldn't go after him with Nessie the way she is."
"Of course I did," she snapped. "We need to talk about this, not fight with my supporters."
He pointed at her. "He only supported you so you'd talk to us."
"No. He understands, Embry. He even agreed with me! Just like Walker did in that office." She looked to me. "He just thinks I can't handle the pain." Her eyes went back to him with a searing anger that I knew she was about to say something like a whip. "But my dear brother has never seen us in the bedroom."
And that was Embry's last straw. His face closed up nice and tight. Tightening his lips, he nodded. "Okay. Alright. Fine." Stalking to the door, he wrenched it open and slammed it shut.
Tricia's eyes were filling with horror and tears. "Oh, God," she whispered before running out after him.
Christa and I shared a look of "what just happened?"
Haleigh poked her head in the door looking worried. "Aunt Tricia and Uncle Embry just ran out like the house was on fire. Is everything okay?"
God, I wished I knew.
TriciaPOV
Through the mud and the drizzle, I ran after Embry. He was already to the exit to the main road.
"Embry! Embry, wait!" Getting up to him, I tugged on his arm to turn him toward me. His face was drawn and thinned down with anger. "Please. I know I shouldn't-,"
"Do you?" he said in such a low voice that I cowered from it. "Do you really know what you shouldn't have done?"
All I could do was swallow.
He pointed down the way we had come. "Fighting in front of them was one thing. They're family. But dragging our sex life into it? Our personal life? That is an entirely new level of inappropriate. And just because we go a little rough in the bedroom does not mean you can handle the shift. Just because I fuck you hard-,"
My hand snapped out to crack across his face. I stepped in close to him, my own rage bubbling up. "You want to talk about inappropriate? Don't you ever talk to me like I'm just your slut, like I'm some whore you keep locked in your bedroom. I am your wife. You will treat me with more respect than that. You're right, I shouldn't have brought up the bedroom. That was wrong of me. But when we're out in public like this, you won't talk to me like I'm your whore."
With that, I turned on my heel and ran as fast and far as I could while he was still frozen with shock. Mud splattered up my shoes and pants. The drizzle turned to freezing rain, soaking through my jacket and shirt. My long hair clung to my back and face. The cold water mixed with the sweat and tears on my face, making me shiver. Even my nose started running.
By the time I found myself in front of a familiar door, I knew I looked like a drowned rat. And I had no idea that I'd run that far. From the outer ring of Forks to the rez. Trembling from head to toe, I knocked on the door.
When the door opened, I tried to smile through my frozen face. "Hi." Sniffling and swiping my face, I said, "I'm sorry, but…I need a place to crash. Embry and Walker both are angry with me. And I have nowhere else to go."
Morgan and Lucas both blinked at me.
Morgan was the first to snap out of her surprise. She reached out to take my hand. "Of course. Get in here before you catch pneumonia."
After a hot shower, dry clothes, and a warm meal, I laid in their extra bedroom and waited for Embry to come find me.
He never did.
Phew. At first I was rooting for Embry and Walker. But then, I was kind of rooting for Tricia. Yeah she made a slip, but it was in front of family. Embry was a little too crass too close to beings with supernatural hearing. So it's kind of a toss up. I mean, I see why she should stay human, but, like Nessie, I sympathize. I just really don't know how this is going to play out. I think with this story, I'm going to be as surprised as you are. Oh yeah, and...TWINS! That one I've known since Will's pregnancy story. But yay! Okay enough talking. Love you! xoxoxoxoxo
