The months dragged on with no news from the council. Leah knelt behind Jacob, who sat on the edge of the bed as she brushed his hair. "Mmm...I'm glad you decided to let it grow out." She set the brush on the nightstand and ran her fingers through his thick black tresses, her fingers massaging his scalp. A deep growl rumbled from his chest, and she kissed his neck.

Laughing, Jacob fell back on the bed and Leah was on him. She kissed him deeply, one hand automatically fishing in the nightstand drawer for a condom. Her hand came out with an empty box. "Shit!" she muttered.

Jake moaned softly. "Sorry, babe. I'll pick some up tomorrow."

"Aww, come on, Jake. You had a vasectomy and I had a tubal - surely we're safe enough!"

He shook his head. "No way, Lee. It's just not worth the risk. We can't assume our bodies didn't heal themselves."

Pouting, Leah slipped a hand inside his boxers. "Not even if I do this?" she asked with a grin.

Groaning loudly, he argued "No fair, babe. You fight dirty." He chuckled and kissed her again. Hissing in a breath between his teeth, he gasped, "Well...maybe just this once."

Of course, one time is all it takes. Three weeks later, Leah was on her knees in the bathroom, coughing up her breakfast. She washed her face and returned to the bedroom. She was ecstatic; Jacob was horrified. He stopped pacing and grabbed her, pulling her to his chest in a crushing hug. "We are NOT doing this, Leah."

Leah's voice was muffled. "First of all, I can't breathe." He loosened his hold and she gulped in air. "Secondly, it's out of our hands, Jake. I'm pregnant. All the signs are there. And this baby is precious. We learned our lesson. I'll deliver the baby by C-section. Please don't panic, babe. We'll be fine."

The phone rang, and Jacob grabbed it. Leah listened curiously, and Jacob's side of the conversation was cryptic. "Hi, Mom. Yeah. Oh...well, I'll have to talk to Leah. Yeah, I know...but don't do anything until you hear from us." He hung up the phone with a sigh and turned to Leah. "You're not gonna believe this, Lee. Your mom has a baby for us. She said come for dinner and we'll talk."

Leah opened the back door. "Come in and get cleaned up, Sarah. We're going to Grandma's for dinner."

Sarah jumped off the rope swing and ran up the steps. "Yay! Grandma's the bestest cook!" She looked up at Leah and added quickly "Except you, Mama."

Leah laughed and kissed her daughter. "It's okay, sweetie. I have no illusions about my cooking. Daddy's already out in the car." She brushed through Sarah's hair and waited as she washed her face and hands. "Ready?"

After dinner, Leah and Jake lingered in the kitchen while Harry took Sarah outside to help wash his truck. They helped Sue rinse the dishes and load the dishwasher before they all settled at the table with their coffee. "It's a girl," Sue began. "I don't understand, though. You two were so excited about the prospect of adoption - have you changed your minds?"

Jake sighed. "Leah's pregnant, Mom. We've been so careful all these years. Apparently our wolf systems have healed the surgeries we both had."

Sue frowned. "Dammit, Jacob, you're not a teenager! You should have been more careful!" She was well aware where babies come from.

He had the good grace to look embarrassed. "I know. And I'm sorry. I never wanted this to happen."

Leah interrupted. "Hey! I'm right here, both of you! And I'm thrilled, Mom. I never wanted Sarah to be an only child, so I prefer to think of this as a blessing. Now I'd appreciate it if you'd at least pretend to be happy for us."

Sue looked into her daughter's eyes. "You know why I'm upset, Leah. Whether you want to admit it or not, there's a risk involved - for both you and the baby." She sighed. "So, should I tell the council you've changed your minds? About the adoption?"

Leah looked at Jake but spoke to Sue. "Tell us about her, Mom. Then we'll decide."

"The child is almost two years old. Her name is Alexis. Her parents were killed in a car accident, and they were both only children. You may have read it in the paper. Her only relative is one grandmother, and as much as she wants to be a part of her life, she can't raise her. She came to Harry looking for a loving family, preferably Native. The family is Quileute."

Leah looked at Jacob, and he reached over and covered her hand with his big paw. "Poor little tyke," he murmured. "But almost two - a baby's a lot of work, honey. And your pregnancy is already high risk." He looked pained, but stated firmly "My vote has to be no."

Sue's voice was soft. "He's right, honey. If Daddy and I had known about the pregnancy we wouldn't have brought it up at all."

Leah stiffened. "Well thanks for the votes of confidence, everyone. Have you given any thought to the poor little girl who lost her parents?" Her eyes filled with tears, and she shook her head angrily. "Go ahead - explain to me how someone else can give her a better home. A more loving home. It's gonna take some convincing!"

Sue sighed. "Nobody's suggesting such a thing, Leah, but our first priority is your well being."

"Mom," Leah said patiently, "I understand your point. But I'm young and healthy. I know what I did wrong the first time and I'm not stupid. I won't take any chances. But there's no doubt in my mind I can care for three kids. Lots of people have twins, which would be a bigger challenge. This little girl won't be in diapers by the time the baby comes. Are there any other Quileute families interesting in adopting her?"

Sue's silence spoke volumes.

"You wouldn't actually consider letting this child end up in an orphanage, Mom. I know you better. Jake?"

Kissing her hand, he nodded solemnly. "Okay. If your dad will agree, we'll do it."

Between paperwork and red tape, it was another four weeks before Alexis arrived at her new home. Sarah could barely contain herself. She and Leah had set up a youth bed in Sarah's room and had bought some clothing and toys hoping to make the little girl feel at home. She was a shy, friendly child, and she clung to Leah when they left her grandmother's house. Both Jake and Leah promised the elderly woman they would bring Alexis to visit often.

Sarah seemed to know Alexis needed a lot of attention, and the two quickly became inseparable. One night after dinner Leah went looking for Jake. He was standing in the girls' bedroom doorway, quietly watching Sarah read a storybook to Alexis. He looped an arm around Leah's waist and kissed her hair, whispering softly "It was the right thing to do, baby. I'm glad you didn't listen to me." He chuckled and added quietly "As usual."

Lexie always knew when it was time for Sarah to come home from school. She would stand in front of the window watching for her and run to meet her at the door. Leah was glad she was too young to remember the sadness for long. The times she cried for her mama became fewer and farther between. Soon she was imitating Sarah and calling Leah Mommy, and Jake became Daddy. He teased about being a minority of one, but his love for all his girls was obvious. When they found out Leah was carrying a boy, his feelings were mixed.