I woke up early the next morning to an empty, cold bed. "Jake?" I whispered, trying to pry my eyes open.
"Over here, be quiet for a minute." He hissed at me from somewhere in my room.
"Why?" I asked as I forced myself to sit up. Just then my door opened and Charlie peeked his head in.
"Morning." He said, sounding surprised.
"Hey." I groaned, still feeling tired.
"I'm off to work. You need anything?" He asked. As if on cue my stomach turned and I jumped off my bed.
"The bathroom." I gasped as I rushed passed him.
I moaned and rested my head on the side of the toilet.
"You ok in there?" Charlie asked as he tapped on the bathroom door.
"Fine." I mumbled. I thought I was done with the morning sickness, and how can I get sick when I don't have anything in my stomach to dispose of?
"Ok… I'll see you around 8 tonight."
"Bye." I snapped. I just wanted to be left alone. Like that was going to happen. As soon as the front door slammed shut Jacob was behind me.
"Still not over the morning sickness?" He asked as he rubbed my back.
"Obviously." I said, rolling my eyes.
"Done? I'll make you some toast." Jacob stood up behind me. The mere thought of food turned my stomach once again and I gripped the toilet once more. "Was that my fault? Sorry!" Jacob said as he held my hair back.
He helped me to my feet and I rinsed my mouth out. Then I decided to wash my face to get the clammy feeling off my face and neck. I settled for taking a shower instead. I spun to turn on the shower, but Jacob stopped me to do it himself. "You going to help me?" I asked as I took my shirt off and wrapped my arms around his waist.
"Will I hurt… the baby?" He asked as he lifted his own shirt over his head.
"I don't see how." I giggled. I finished undressing and stepped in the shower. I let the cool water hit my face. I felt better immediately. Jacob stepped in behind me and he turned me to face him. I locked my arms around his neck and he bent down until our lips met. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close to him. Once again the all too familiar pain in my stomach reappeared and I squirmed until Jacob let me go.
"What's wrong?" He asked, alarmed. I jumped out of the shower and reached the toilet just in time.
"Well that's a buzz killer." Jacob mumbled behind me.
"Shut up!" I snapped at him. Jacob stepped out of the shower and dried off.
"Take your shower, and I'll be downstairs."
I cleaned up and met Jacob in the kitchen. He turned around, holding out a plate of toast. "I think you should try and eat something. You've gotten sick 3 times on an empty stomach." I took the toast and sat down.
"I was making up for not getting sick yesterday." I sighed. "Sorry about before." I said looking down at the table.
"Hey, don't worry about it." Jacob kissed the top of my head. "It's not your fault." But I could hear the tension in his voice.
"Can we go see Carlisle now?" I asked as I took the last bite of my toast.
"Lets go." Jacob took my hand we walked to my truck. It was weird to have Jacob almost excited to go to the Cullen's, but I knew it was because of the baby.
"Hey, Bella." Carlisle smiled as he opened the door for me. "Jacob." Carlisle nodded politely to Jacob standing behind me.
"Hi!" I smiled. I was eager to see how far along I was.
"Shall we?" Carlisle seemed to read my mind, and I followed him upstairs.
"Once again this is going to be cold." He said before putting the gel on my stomach. "Not showing yet, that could be a good sign. That means you're still in the lower months of development."
The monitor came to life and I tried desperately to make out the shape of my baby. "That right there is the head." Carlisle pointed to the monitor. "You look to be 8 weeks. Still in your first trimester, so take it easy."
"8 weeks? 2 days ago I was 6 weeks. So each day the baby develops a week?" I said, a little shocked.
"Yes it seems like you are moving along quickly. The baby is perfectly healthy, and if you want I think by tomorrow or the next day we should be able to see the sex of the baby. Right now he or she is going to start moving around, but you wont feel it yet. How have you been feeling?"
"Ok." I nodded. "I was fine yesterday, but I got sick 3 times this morning."
"That's ok. It's normal."
"Yeah." Jacob snorted. "Is it normal for her to vomit right before we-"
"Jacob!" I snapped.
Carlisle chuckled. "Yes Jacob, right now the smallest movement, the weirdest smell, the wrong word can send her running to the bathroom. Don't take it personal. It will pass."
Jacob smiled, happy with the new information, as my face flushed red, and I stared down at my hands.
"Hop on the scale." Carlisle said as he finished cleaning off my stomach. I groaned, but did as he asked.
"3 pounds." I said, relieved.
"That's good. Your right on track. Both of you are doing excellent. Keep up the good work, and I'll see you in another 2 days."
"Thank you Carlisle." I said, as I leaned forward hugging him.
"No problem."
We left the house and Jacob towed me passed my truck. "Where are we going?" I asked as he pulled me towards the trees.
"Our house." Jacob smiled. "We don't have a driveway yet, so I have to carry you there." He swept his arm under my legs and caught me in his other arm.
"In a few weeks you wont be able to pick me up at all." I sighed.
"Sure I will. I don't feel the weight difference now, I don't see how I will then."
"Because I'm not fat yet." I huffed.
"You're not going to be fat, your just going to be… round." Jacob chuckled.
"You're not helping." I said, and pinched his arm. He flinched, but I knew it didn't hurt him.
"So, do you want to find out what it is?" Jacob asked after a little while.
"We already know." I looked down at my stomach and rested my hand on it. "He's a little boy, our son."
"We don't know that for sure though." Jacob shrugged. "What if he's a little girl? I know it's impossible with all the alpha talk and the baby, but we could be wrong. She could just be developing fast just to be a normal werewolf, like Leah."
I shook me head. "No… the other way makes more sense. He's a boy." I paused for a second, and sighed. "Speaking of alpha, you really going to step up?"
Jacob's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Quil." He growled his name.
"Quil and I talked yesterday. I think it's great. It would be really weird for you to be ordered around by your own son." I couldn't help but laugh at the thought.
"That's exactly why I did it. I couldn't believe it was easy to ask Sam to step down."
"Wait… you're speaking in the past tense."
Jacob looked down at me and smiled. "Last night."
"Really? That's great!" We were at the cottage now, and he let my legs go, but still held my waist. "I'm proud of you." I said, kissing him. "How did Sam step down so easily?" I asked as Jacob took my hand. Everyone was there working hard.
"He's not exactly a nothing now. He's now next in command."
"He's the beta." I nodded.
Jacob laughed, and kissed me again. "You could say that."
"Hey, Bella!" Emily waved from the front porch. She was painting the railings.
"Hi!" I waved, and started to walk over to her, but Jacob grabbed my arm. I turned to look at him. He handed me my mask.
"She's painting."
"Fine." I sighed, and took the mask.
"How far along?" Emily asked when I reached her. I sat down on the grass and picked a wild flower. Esme and Alice poked their heads out one of the bedroom windows to listen. I smiled up at them.
"Carlisle says I'm 8 weeks."
"Is it a boy or girl?" Emily asked.
"We don't know for sure, but I know it's a boy."
"Name?" Esme asked through the window.
"Haven't thought about that yet."
"It's still early, you have time." She winked at me, and went back inside.
I yawned.
"Tired?" Emily giggled.
"Exhausted, but I slept really good last night." I laid back in the grass with my hands behind my head. The sun shone through the trees warming my already warm face. I closed my eyes.
When I opened them I was on my couch. Jacob's arm was draped over my hip as he watched something on TV. "How long was I sleeping?" I asked, turning in his arms to face him.
"6 hours. You slept soundless in the grass as everyone stepped around you, then you slept the whole way back to your truck, and you slept while I put you on the couch. Your father will be home in 2 hours."
"I slept that long?"
"Like a rock." Jacob snorted.
"Sorry." I mumbled.
"Will you stop apologizing!" Jacob said, kissing my forehead. I reached up and held his face where it was. I moved my body, stretching my neck until my lips reached his. I trailed kisses down his jaw line, to his neck. I reached between us and pulled off his shirt trailing kisses across his collarbone. He moaned into my hair and I smiled up at him.
"We have 2 hours?" I asked, smiling crookedly.
"You going to get sick on me?" I moved our bodies so I was kneeling over him.
"No." I said firmly as I pulled my shirt over my head. Jacob sat up and grabbed onto my hips. He stood up and slung me over his shoulder. I screamed and laughed, then he took off running up to my room.
He laid me on the bed and supported his own weight on top of me. He trailed kisses from the corner of my mouth up to my ear, and then down my neck. I wrapped my leg around his hip and he rolled us so we were on our sides. I sat up, reaching behind me to unclip my bra, and immediately felt a wave of nausea. I looked back at Jacob apolitically, and clasped my hand over my mouth.
"No! Come on, no!" Jacob sat up, but I slipped out of his arms and ran to the bathroom.
When I was done I brushed my teeth and walked back into my room. Jacob was on his back, his left arm draped across his face, his right hand in a fist. I crawled onto the bed and leaned over him. "Sorry." I whispered. "I must have sat up too quick." I smiled at his still body, and trailed my finger from his lips to the waistband of his jeans. He moved his right hand to mine and stopped me before I could unzip his pants.
"You just threw up." He groaned. His arm still covering his eyes.
"I'm better now." I tried moving his left arm off his face, but he wouldn't budge.
"I have visualized slamming my finger in a door for the passed 5 minutes. Do not move your hand or you're going to ruin my concentration." He squeezed my hand that was on his jeans.
"Why have you been doing that?" I asked, I let go of the button on his jeans and he pushed my hand away.
"I heard it works, you know, thinking of pain is supposed to take your mine off of… things."
"Oh," I sat cross legged on the bed next to him. When I didn't say anything else he peeked at me from under his arm. "How's it working out for ya?"
"Bella." He moaned and rolled onto his side, wrapping his arm around my waist. He moved down the bed resting his head on my lap, and I ran my fingers through his hair. "When is my touch not going to send you running into the bathroom?" His voice was muffled against my leg.
"It's not you, it's me."
"That line is corny for a break up, and it's corny for the way you mean it." He mumbled, his face still hidden.
"It's true!"
"Bella, stop. You must be starving because I know I am." He sat up and got off my bed.
When we got downstairs he handed me my shirt before he pulled his over his head.
I walked into the kitchen to start dinner.
I placed the plates on the table and called Jacob and Charlie into the kitchen. "How's the cottage coming along?" Charlie asked after he took a bite of his steak.
"Great, the way everyone is working we should be done and ready to move in by next month." Jacob answered with his mouth full.
"You change your minds about being at least engaged before you move in together?" He asked. His eyes studying both mine and Jacob's faces.
"No." I snapped before Jacob could answer.
"Being engaged doesn't mean you have to get married right away, Bells. It will give a more stable upbringing for the baby."
"I'm not hungry." I lied. I just didn't want to have this conversation anymore. I got up and walked out of the kitchen.
I laid down in my bed staring up at me ceiling. There was a soft knock on my door and Jacob peeked his head in. "Brought food." He whispered, and held the plate out in front of him.
"Come in." I smiled, and sat up on the bed. I took the plate and immediately started eating.
"I knew you were hungry." He sat next to me while I stuffed my face.
"You really don't like the idea of being engaged?" Jacob asked, and I choked on my steak.
"Seriously? Jake we're teenagers." I said, when I managed to swallow what was in my mouth.
"Who are having a baby. I'm not saying lets go out and get married tomorrow. Just sort of make us official."
I dropped my hands to my stomach. "I think this makes us official."
"No, it just means we're having a baby together. Being engaged means we've found the one we want to be with. The one we want to spend the rest of our lives with. I know that person is you. Now I know you hate the whole marriage idea, but we can be engaged for a few years. Until we are both ready to get married."
"I don't… know." I stuttered.
"That wasn't a no." Jacob pointed out. "I'm not asking you to marry me, so don't stress yourself out worrying. Not yet." Jacob winked at me, and kissed me before he stood up.
"I have to head home for a few hours, but I'll be back after Charlie leaves for work in the morning."
I nodded and kissed Jacob once more before he left. I finished eating and laid in my bed, my eyes drooped and I fell asleep quickly.