Chapter Twenty-eight – One Moment

Paul stared at me, his mouth gaping open in shock. "Whah…?" he asked stupidly, and I swallowed nervously.

"You heard me, Paul. I- I'm pregnant. Now, I know that this is a shock… but I need your help! Please… oh lord, please don't leave me!" My voice broke at the end of my sentence, and I gasped, pain rippling through me at the very thought.

Paul rushed forward at inhuman speed, crushing me to his chest. "I don't… I mean, I won't… I am not going to leave you, ever." He assured me, and it was enough. I deeply embraced him, feeling every part of him I could and trying to appreciate it all in one moment.

In the morning, we were both exhausted, and that was when the panic actually started sinking in, the fears I'd thought of before rearing their heads… what would I tell my dad? What would Paul tell either of his parents? How could we afford a baby?

My dad nearly killed Paul when he found out, and Billy can be pretty scary when he wants to. No one would dare call him a cripple.

Lili and Rupert were surprisingly supported, shocked at first of course, but eventually they helped us and Lili and I reveled that Jules will have someone to play with. She swore on her life that it was going to be a girl, though I laughed I secretly hoped she was right… I always wanted my first to be a daughter.

But Mrs. Walker, now Mrs. Bridger as the divorce had been finalized, freaked out. She slapped me hard in the face, and she and Paul got into a very nasty argument. I hated being caught in the middle of it. Once she stormed out, Paul told me this had been a fight years in the making, and he was glad he finally got it out.

Sometime later, we found we were going to have twins, and Paul near fainted at the news. That kind of settled it for him, that he needed a job. So he got one, managing a handy shop for an old man. It paid pretty well, and he was pretty happy with it. Mr. Killmore, his boss, wasn't one to ask questions or gossip, so the pack secret was not at jeopardy.

The Wolf Girls had been, to say the least, crazy ecstatic at the process of having a baby added to the group. With the addition of Collin's new imprint, Angie (also Embry's younger sister), things were moving fast.

And then, tragedy struck.

I should have known. I should have realized that this bliss was too good to last, but I remained under the impression that nothing could touch me in these moments of newfound happiness of which I hadn't experienced in so long; long talks with Paul, us getting along so well, and the camaraderie that came along with being a Wolf Girl. We always saw each other as equals, and we had our squabbles, but somehow we managed to claw our way back together, stronger than ever.

Marie died. My fellow teacher, who helped me out on my first day, whose kids were in my very first class, got killed in a terrible car wreckage alongside her twin sons, Kyle and Kevin. My heart was broken, and for a few days, I could barely think, so shocked I didn't even have the energy to go to school and teach; and that is saying something considering I never missed a day before…for anything.

But at least I knew what I was going to name my babies, then. If I had two boys: Kyle and Kevin. If there was one girl at least, her name would be Marie. I did not voice this, I didn't know why but I chose to keep it to myself. I wanted that to be kept inside me, to waver around until the little babies decided to come out…

"Rachel, your students sent you some cards!" Paul bellowed as he sidled into our small bedroom. I struggled to sit up, my enormous pregnant belly stretching out in front of me. I was nine months pregnant and huge; my babies were growing fast and I had been (begrudgingly) placed on bed rest.

"Aw, how sweet!" I smiled, stretching out a pale hand to grab them. Paul anxiously flitted across the room, stuffing the roughly drawn papers into my hand before my elbow so much as left the mattress. I drew a ragged breath, glaring at him.

"Paul. I can manage to hold my arm out from my body!" I snapped at him, and he pursed his lips.

"Rach, the doctor said that you should do no strenuous or stressful activity!" he growled back, resulting in my scowl. Those damn doctors, telling me what to do and when! They were what I despised most about being pregnant.

"You are stressing me out more than anything. The only time I get up from this damned bed is to pee. And it's not that comfortable with you standing at the door listening in!" I yelled and he turned red, looking at his feet. I knew immediately that I struck low; I knew he didn't actually

listen.

"I don't… I don't listen to

that. I ignore that stuff… I just listen to make sure you don't fall." He swallowed uncomfortably, guiltily, and as he looked up again his gaze travelled to my stomach. He and I both knew that behind the old, worn t-shirt of Paul's, my stomach was grown to the max, covered in stretch marks. My twins were both big, and they needed a lot of room.

Guilt ran through me like wild fire as I looked into his scared eyes. He was frightened about the health of me and the babies and I hated that I was causing him more grief. I gulped uneasily and placed the cards on my lap, beckoning for Paul to come closer.

"I'm sorry, babe. I know you're worried about me. I'm just restless, you know me; I hate being cooped up," I sighed, and he smiled apologetically, gently stroking my hair.

"I know. But it'll all be over in a week! And, Lili is visiting tomorrow with Jules!" he said encouragingly, and I grunted. Lili visited me every week; this was no change of pace.

"Fun," I said dryly, and he rolled his eyes. He now needed to be the optimistic one in our relationship.

"Come on, you have to be excited about Rodolfo and Kansas coming!" he exclaimed, rubbing my stomach affectionately. I let out an irritated sigh.

"We are not naming any of our children Rodolfo or Kansas! Jeez Paul, I do not want to make their lives miserable!" I complained, and he frowned. He really wanted these names, but I plain refused.

"Fine. What would be a name you would like for them?" he growled, and I glanced longingly at my stomach as well. My babies would soon be brought into the world and they needed suitable names…

"Oh, I do have one or two in mind…"

"THE BAGS! PAUL, THE BAGS!" I screamed, leaning against the doorframe and panting heavily, clutching at my stomach. He whirred past me, grabbed a couple of overnight duffle bags sitting on the floor, looking around wildly, pushed me out the door.

"That's it? Right, we don't need to bring anything else! Okay, into the car, yeah, there ya go Rach, okay!" he continued commentary as we started driving, offering his comfort and cheery attitude, which really just pissed me the fuck off.

Another contraction swept over me and the pain was so great I knew that if I had been standing, I would have collapsed onto the floor. "Oooooh!" I breathed, fists clenched tightly.

Paul had just come home from patrol when I had my first contraction, and had just totally flipped out. It would have been rather amusing if not for the searing jolts of pain every few minutes.

His face was unnaturally paled as we pulled into Forks' Hospital, and he kept glancing at me worriedly as he carefully helped me out of the van. The bright sun pooled like fire on the back of my neck as I struggled inside, and was immediately placed in a wheelchair.

The nurse was very kind and we were able to get a private room, away from prying eyes and whispers of our fingers, bare of wedding bands. Emily and Kim came around later, holding my hand for a good two hours before wandering out in the lobby to greet the other members of the pack.

Exhaustion was sweeping over me as well as nausea, and the babies were not coming. I was afraid I might have to get a c-section, but fortunately the doctor delivered the news that I was now moving along pretty quick.

It was darker when I finally felt the urge the push, maybe around seven, and Paul was at my side, as well as Emily. A mother might normally come in, but seeing as I didn't have one, I decided I wanted to have my closest friend.

Finally, on April 19, 2011 at 7:23 in the evening, Marie Rebecca Walker came screaming into the world. I cried, sobbing really, at the prospect that there was one down; I just had to give birth to the other baby… A son, I knew it was going to be a boy.

"Alright, Ms. Black! Yes, yes, good! And one final push, there you go… And a baby boy!" he beamed, and I let loose a little laugh as I fell against the bed, clutching at my chest as I cried happily, reaching blindly for Paul. He clasped onto my hand, but I noticed it was tight, a little too tight and too tense.

I looked up at him, confused. "What? What's wrong…?" But then I realized that only Marie's cries penetrated the air; there was no sign that another being had entered the room. I looked around wildly and saw the doctor frantically patted the blue baby boy on the bottom, panic in his features.

"Mrs. Barnes, Ms. Janet! Get this baby to Dr. Harrison stat!" he barked, and an elderly looking woman swept forward, taking my still and unmoving son and running out of the room.

Panic and fear drowned me as I sat up, screaming. I didn't know who I was talking to, what I was saying, really nothing at all. I was hardly aware of the restraining, shaking hands Paul was pressing into my chest, or the nurses and doctor trying to talk to me, explain what was going on.

All I was aware of was that my baby was taken away from me, and I had no idea what was happening to him or if he was even still here. In what seemed like a lifetime, a solemn nurse came in, gently taking my hand. It hung limply in her hand as I stared at her, letting my screams finally ease into nothingness.

Her stare was full of pity; I could not stand it.

You know how some people say that their hearts can be broken? Like, shatter into a million pieces, something along those lines, anyway? Well, I think those people are lucky. Because if you have pieces, than you can one day you could maybe put those together again. But when you have something that truly ruins you, truly makes you so miserable and so desolate that you can hardly stand it, your heart does not break.

Your heart disappears. It's no longer there, it ceases to exist. There is no way that it can ever return, at least whole, again. And I knew when that bitch of a nurse told me and Paul that we lost our son, Marie's twin; my heart fell away, leaving my body entirely.

I was scared it would never return.

My cheeks were streaked with tears, and this was seemingly becoming a permanent fixture on my face during my time in the hospital. The doctors were worried for my mental sanity, so apparently that prompted them to say they 'wanted' me to stay a few extra days, along with Marie, to 'make sure we were both okay'.

The doctors explained to me that this happened a lot with mothers who birthed stillborns…he said that this was perfectly normal, and I nodded numbly. I didn't listen to them, not really. I just wanted to see Paul, Emily, my family, and most of all Marie, and just lament in that time.

They distracted me, they stole me away from my thoughts of misery and pain and made me smile, occasionally laugh. I tried really hard to be happy, for Paul's sake. I hated seeing him suffer on my behalf.

Finally, I was released, and the bright sun made me blink as I left the hospital, clutching my new daughter to my chest.

I stared down at her, and found she was asleep, her tiny eyes closed and her small hand resting against my chest. I smiled at Marie, shifting her body so she was pressed closer to me. She had brown, curly hair like Paul, as well as his blue eyes.

She cried not too often, just like any other baby, but if I held her and rocked her, she would fall asleep instantly. I knew she would get me through anything that came along, she and Paul both would. And I swore, right then, that I would be there even more so for her. She would need me, and I would help her through anything that came her way.

"Now, Rach, remember there's a welcoming home party. This is just for Marie, and we have to celebratory, okay?" Paul said carefully as we drove home, glancing at me. I understood his pleading to not think about our son, and nodded, looking out the window.

Once we got home, I jumped out and unbuckled Marie from her safety seat as Paul grabbed all our things from the back of the car, taking them in. As I opened the door, a sound much like an explosion sounded from inside as the wolf girls rushed to greet me.

Emily was the first, hugging me and Marie at the same time and shrugging us inside, laughing happily. "First wolf baby! I always thought it'd be me, but you just had to go ahead and jump ahead," she said slyly, and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, Em, I tried so hard to have a baby before you," I muttered. Kim grinned as she came to stand next to us with twelve-year-old Angie next to her.

"Oh, we know you did. Emily and Sam managed to get married before Jared and me too… we're gonna do everything last." Kim said glumly, and I couldn't help but snigger.

"Kim, your wedding is in two months!" Emily reminded her, and Kim grumbled something under her breath at that sounded like 'sooner than that the bastard'.

Angie, next to her, smiled a little, but a bored look immediately took over her face again. I found it rather surprising that I could act so normal, forget so easily the son I never got to know. The Wolf girls made me laugh, and I beamed as more members of the pack came arrived and congratulated me.

Finally, everyone was here except for one of the newer wolves, Jesse, and his girlfriend Sandra. Louis looked rather sour as he watched his ex-girlfriend Amanda, also the trigger for his phasing and vice versa, flirt with other pack member Rickie. They seemed to betting along alright, but as my eyes shifted over Max, I let out a little groan. He was looking at Amanda with a gaze that might have set the whole place on fire. Just what the pack fricking needed: more drama.

Jesse suddenly sauntered in, a small girl with smooth looking black hair on his arm. They both looked rather snotty, and my dislike for Jesse grew. He had always been my least favorite of the pack.

He grinned as he led Sandra over to us, and I plastered a small smile on my face nodding at him politely. "Hey, Rachel! I do believe you've met my little lady here before!" He grinned again as he pushed her forward slightly, and I watched in disgust as she stuck her chest out, her boobs flying out playfully from her chest.

"Ah, now, let me see that little Marie! She's so small…" he trailed off as he held his arms out for her, and I hesitated before handing her over. Something in me was screaming to hold tight to her and run as far away from here as possible, but I quickly dismissed that as my slight hatred of the young man, and, not wanting to be rude, banished the thoughts.

"Now, let's see that little face, Mar-" Jesse stopped midsentence as he pulled the blanket covering Marie's face back, and gazed down into her eyes.

His mouth fell open and he stared at my baby with a kind of blank amazement, his eyes looking at nothing but her. As soon as my mind comprehended what this look meant, as I had seen my fiancée looking at me with it numerous times, I shrieked, bounding forward to pull her out of his arms.

He was unsuspecting of this, and Marie slipped out and into my hands, but his were still cradled like she was in them. He was blinking dazedly as I backed away from him, shaking his head. Sandra was looking at him with disgust, also backing away.

"You- you pervert!" I screamed, at my scream several turned my way, understanding dawning on their face as soon as they saw me clutching Marie, and Jesse, standing there dumbfounded. Quil looked practically pitying.

Paul sprinted in not a moment after my scream, looking around shrewdly. "Rachel baby, what's wrong?" he growled, suddenly menacing as he took in the surroundings. My eyes narrowed, and I pointed a furious, trembling finger at

him.

"Jesse! Jesse imprinted on OUR DAUGHTER! Our baby!" I hissed, grinding my teeth together angrily. While Paul was no king of calm, he had done better since I was entered into his life. But now, he was shaking brilliantly with rage, advancing on Jesse with clenched fists.

"You… imprinted? On my daughter?" he spat, and Jesse nodded meekly, not meeting our eyes. I was seeing red; I wanted that filthy mutt dead!

Marie had started howling loudly the minute I held her so Jesse couldn't see her and she him, but I ignored her cries as Paul growled at Jesse. "Outside. Now." Paul ordered, and Jesse was almost forced to head out, as he knew that Paul was

this close to attacking him, and he didn't want anyone hurt. Plus, Paul was several ranks above him, with Jared as the beta and Sam of course as the alpha.

My breath was ragged as I stood rooted to the spot, anger searing through me more so than in my entire life.


Heyla,

Thanks to those who reviewed! Kisses to all and tell me whatcha think...I'm kinda curious about this one!

I want to send a shout-out to laurazuleta18, who is just generally awesome, and a good writer, too! Luv ya girl!