Chapter 29: Just Breathe

Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns Twilight.


Jacob came downstairs with a last-night's lovin' smile still lingering on his lips. He sniffed at the air—the aroma of bacon and scrambled eggs enticing him into the kitchen. He held Liam snugly, already diapered and dressed.

"Gosh, I didn't think he was ever going to wake up this morning." Bella commented, turning toward the hungry twosome.

He walked up behind her and nuzzled his nose along her neck. "Told you we made a pact, and a Quileute never goes back on his word, huh, buddy," he snorted as he lightly jiggled him in his arms.

The menfolk sat at the table as Bella portioned out the food. She glanced over at Liam, alert and cooing on Jacob's lap, then sat beside them. "Good grief, Jake, what in the world is he wearing? Those colors do not go together, I don't care what The Phoenix Suns say. He looks like a poster child for Halloween."

Defending his choice of clothes, Jacob argued, "What's the big deal; he's a baby, he doesn't care."

She put down her fork. "Well, I do. I want him to look presentable when I introduce him to Derek."

Jacob stopped mid-chew, and swallowed loudly before he inquired, "What do you mean by introduce?"

A resounding sigh hissed between her parted lips. "What do you think I mean? He hasn't met Liam yet."

A pained expression crossed his features. "So Derek doesn't know about the baby?" He hesitated, in disbelief. "Okay, tell me Bella … Why not?"

Bella suddenly took an interest in her food, and picking up her discarded fork started pushing her eggs around on her dish. She peered up at him just long enough to meet his unbelieving eyes. "Don't look at me like that, Jake … The subject just never came up. I would've gotten around to it eventually."

He dropped his utensils on the plate, the clink of the metal hitting the porcelain echoing in the tension filled room. "You know, Bells, I'm really hurt. I can't believe you didn't tell him. Are you ashamed of our son?"

"No, it was … you know … a little awkward. Anyway, Derek was only here for half an hour."

"You had half an hour, and in all that time, you couldn't tell him that you had a baby asleep in the upstairs bedroom?"

"I thought he'd be gone in a couple of weeks, so why did he need to be told? I didn't know he'd be staying in Forks, for Pete's sake."

"Let me get this straight. You're not ashamed of our baby, so then it must be me! You didn't want him to know that you'd been banging your seventeen year old boyfriend, is that it?"

Her eyes narrowed. "You don't have to be so rude and crude about it." She stabbed a lump of scrambled eggs and shoved it into her mouth.

Jacob pushed the plate away from himself. "That's me all right—rude and crude, but at least I'm honest."

He made a motion to stand up from the table when Bella stopped him, touching his shoulder. "I'm telling him tonight, Jacob, please don't be mad. I'm sorry. But if I'm ashamed of anyone, it would be me. He thought I was this sweet innocent little girl …I couldn't bear the thought of him thinking that I slept around."

Jacob's scowl disappeared. His face softened, along with his heart as he began to understand what she told him. "C'mere, Bells," he said as he pulled her to him one-handed. "Everyone knows you didn't sleep around. You were with me, and only me. We got carried away that night, that's all. We didn't plan for it … it just happened. There's no shame in loving someone. Now let's kiss and make up." Winking at her, he chortled, "If I didn't havta go to school this morning, we'd really be making out—I mean up, I mean up!"

A couple of chocolate eyes mimicked a ferris wheel for a moment. Then she and Jacob sat down at the table to finish breakfast.

It was time to leave so Jacob handed over his pride and joy, and took his car keys from the peg on the kitchen wall. He turned to his family and kissed Liam on his little head. Then, he wrapped both of his arms around Bella's waist.

Before he left, he said to Bella, "Hey, Bells do you realize this is the first argument we've had since we've been together?"

She shifted her weight to her left foot, and placed her hand on that hip. "What about the time you asked me to marry you?"

Shaking his head, he fired back, "That was not an argument. That was a discussion."

"Well, there was the time when I tried to tell you I was pregnant with your baby."

"That doesn't count either. That was just a big misunderstanding on my part."

Defeated, Bella sighed loudly. "Okay, have it your way. We don't ever argue, we have only misunderstandings and heated discussions."

"You've got it, honey. Now give me a kiss to launch me out the door." He leaned toward her, but she still had another message to deliver.

"Don't come home from work late tonight. Remember I told Derek 6:30," she said sweetly as she kissed Jacob goodbye.

Was she kiddin? There was no way in hell he was gonna allow Snaggletooth to sit in the same room alone with his wife. He was bound and determined to get his butt home an hour before her friend was scheduled to grace their dinner table with his presence.

It was 6:40 and Derek had yet to arrive. D'arvit! He was two blocks away, when the car he was driving went kaput. The lighted dash flickered and faded, enveloping him in total darkness. It coasted for a few feet then stopped dead in its tracks. "Of all the rotten luck . . ." he grumbled under his breath.

He got out of the incapacitated vehicle, and popped the hood. He had no idea what the heck he was looking at, never mind looking for. Ugh! Wait a minute. Bingo—wasn't Jacob a mechanic? The cell phone got whipped out of his pocket. He hoped Bella's number hadn't been changed.

. . . . .

"Oh good, it's you," she heard. "I'm sorry, Bella. My car broke down. I'm two blocks away, at the corner of Sycamore and Pine Grove. Do you think Jacob can come on over and help me out?"

Leaning toward her, Jacob waited for her response. "Sure, he'll be right there."

Her amused husband burst out laughing. "Couldn't happen to a nicer guy," he guffawed.

Glaring at him as menacing as one little girl could look, she snapped, "Jacob Black, what a mean thing to say. Do we need to have another discussion?"

His eyes danced merrily in his head. "That all depends, will we make up later-on tonight?"

Her face was stone.

"Okay, okay, I'm goin'. Jeez, I was only kiddin'."

. . . . .

Jacob arrived at the scene of the deceased vehicle, and took a few moments to look under the hood. "Here's your problem," he explained. "The alternator belt is split. When we get to La Push tonight, I'll see if I have one in my old garage to fit this model."

"Hey thanks," Derek responded. "I can see why Bella chose you. You're a really nice guy." Big, but nice. "If you don't mind my asking, how is it that you two got hitched so soon?"

Jacob's toothy grin emerged as he related the tale. "Not soon enough, as far as I was concerned. I practically had to hog tie her and drag her to the Justice of the Piece. You'd think with the baby coming and everything, that she would jump at the chance. But, no—not my Bella."

Did he just say, baby?

Uh-oh. One look at his face, and Jacob realized he had spilled the beans. Oh, hell. Anyway, now Bella wouldn't have to come clean.

Derek looked as if he'd been shot. "You and Bella have a baby?"

"Yeah, we have a son. His name's Liam, after my dad. I guess Bella couldn't dig up the courage to tell you. She couldn't stand the thought of you thinking any less of her either. I might as well let you know, Bella is a one guy girl. She would never sleep around."

"We were such good friends the time we spent in Florida. How could she think that I would do that?"

Snapping the hood back down into place, Jacob asserted, "Well, that's Bella for ya—always worrying about what other people think.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road."

. . . . .

Two minutes later saw Jacob pushing the car, with Derek standing to the side, one hand on the steering wheel, and the other helping the crippled auto to roll toward the house. Derek was amazed at the strength that Jacob possessed. He didn't ever want to do anything to piss this guy off. He liked having teeth, and yes even his snaggletooth.

When they reached the house, Jacob introduced Liam to Derek, who put out his hands to hold him. He was all smiles, as he stared at the infant. "This is one good lookin' baby, you got here, Jacob. He looks just like you."

Jacob proudly boasted, "Yeah, I know. Kid's irresistible."

"Watch it, Derek," Bella cautioned. "Jake's hat size is growing by the minute."

The conversation at the table was relaxed, thank god. Jacob had to admit that he actually liked the guy, now that Derek knew what was what, or more correctly, who belonged to whom. One thing was puzzling him however, "What the hell does D'arvit mean?"

Derek and Bella broke up laughing. Then Jacob joined in. "Why are we all laughing?" he asked.

That started Bella and Derek roaring again. Jacob finally threw up his hands. "Whaaaat? What did I say?"

. . . . .

Jacob drove everyone to La Push. He made Bella sit in back with the baby. Okay, so he liked Derek, but he was still being a teeny bit cautious. Better safe than sorry.

They arrived at the bonfire, and Bella introduced Derek to everyone assembled there. Leah was running a little late, so she missed the grand entrance. She stood beside Seth, and poking him in the arm, asked, "Who's blondie, and what's he doing here?"

"Hey, hi, Sis. That's Derek somethin' or other. He's the guy that had Jacob all tied up in knots when Bella was in Florida. Okay … and why is he here? Damned if I know. Why don't you go over there and ask him yourself."

Leah tossed her dark hair back over her shoulder. "I just think I will, smartass."

The threesome were all sitting together on a huge log near the fire. Liam was in his infant carrier at Jacob's feet. Leah closed the distance between them as she nonchalantly sauntered over to the party to meet the newcomer. She stood in front of Derek. He had his head turned talking to Jacob when Leah cleared her throat. When he looked up, their eyes met, and suddenly neither one of them was able to break the unseen connection that held them spellbound. An overwhelming magical force had just linked them together.

Jacob stared at Leah, who stood rooted to the spot, transfixed. His mouth dropped open. He looked to Bella; she was slack–jawed too. No, it couldn't be—could it?