NESSIE

I'm happy that we're not fighting anymore.

I couldn't believe he was so ready to get married and put a baby in me. Yikes! Slow your roll, honey. I'm looking forward to a drama-free night.

Our morning romp put Jacob in a really, really good mood for the rest of the day. Morning sex usually does that to him. He can't seem to keep his hands off of me. After spending a considerable amount of time snowboarding, the group decided to go back to the chalet to change so we could go get drinks at the resort's lodge.

"Can you two knock it off!" Embry scolds Jacob and I for making out in the back of the SUV as he drives to the lodge.

"Leave them alone," Winnie defends us, "they're so cute."

"You're just pissed off because you drew the short straw," Jacob says after pulling his lips away from mine.

I chuckle. Poor Embry.

We drew straws to determine who would be the designated driver. Emily would have been the obvious choice because she's pregnant but she wasn't feeling well so she stayed back at the chalet with Sam.

Jacob leans in, pushing my hair aside, "you look so sexy," he mumbles, running his hand up the glittery stockings that cover my thigh. "I can't wait to get you alone, tonight," he blows in my ear.

I giggle.

"Looks like Leah and Roger beat us here," Seth points to the grey sedan where Leah, Roger, Quil and Claire are gathered, waiting for us.

Embry slams on the breaks when he pulls into the parking spot. We all jolt, "we're here," he announces gruffly.

The jolt of the car causes Winnie's seatbelt to snatch, knocking the wind out of her. She chokes, trying to catch her breath.

Seth, who is sitting in the seat ahead of her quickly unbuckles and turns around.

"Are you okay, darling?" Seth asks with wide eyes, swiftly unfastening her seatbelt for her and lightly patting her back.

She coughs, rubbing her chest where the bed had squeezed her, "I'm okay," she manages to get out, breathing in deeply.

"Fuck, I'm sorry, Winnie," Embry says getting out of the driver's side and opens the middle door of the SUV.

"You asshole!" Seth tackles Embry to the concrete ground of the parking lot.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey!" Jacob barks at his two wrestling subordinates.

"Oh shit!" I quickly climb out of the SUV, watching them scuffle. Brady and Collin gather around as well.

"Stop!" Winnie shouts.

Seth gets a good punch in before Jacob comes around the car and yanks him off of Embry, "that's enough!" he growls. Seth attempts to lunge at him again but Jake holds him back, "that's an order!"

Leah laughs, "what's going on here?"

"Just Embry being an idiot and Seth overreacting." Jacob sighs.

"Yeah, man," Embry wipes blood from his lip, getting up from the ground, "what's your problem?"

"What's my problem? My problem is that you're driving like an asshole and you could have hurt Winnie!" Seth growls.

"She's fine," Embry rolls his eyes, "see…" he points to Winnie as she gets out of the SUV

"You don't know that!" he scowls.

"She looks fine. You fine, Winnie?" Embry asks.

"I'm fine," Winnie confirms.

"See," Embry smirks, smugly.

"She's pregnant, you stupid fuck!" Seth shouts.

Everyone is silent.

"Seth!" Winnie shouts. We all look at her, "what are you doing? It's too soon to say anything!"

"I… I'm sorry, Winona," Seth jerks away from Jacob's grip.

"I can't believe you!" she storms off into the lodge. Seth goes after her.

So much for a drama-free night.

My eyes fall to Leah who looks absolutely heartbroken. Another pregnancy announcement. Welp, that's everyone; first Kim then Rachel now Emily and Winnie. Apart from Leah and myself, all the imprints have a baby or are pregnant. And of course, Claire… However, the way she's been looking at Quil, lately, I'm sure it'll happen soon enough. Likely when she reaches an age where it becomes complicated.

Roger wraps his arms around Leah and whispers something into her ear. I don't know what it is but she takes comfort in it, nodding.

"This might be our last year at the chalet, afterall," Jacob says to me.

I nod. Two couples down. If we return next year it could literally be us and the guys. Especially if Leah and Roger end up adopting between now and then.

We all go inside the lodge and try to settle down after the brawl in the parking lot but it's tense. Winnie isn't talking to Seth. Leah is moping while Roger is desperately trying to cheer her up. Brady and Collin got bored and go back to the chalet. Embry is sitting all by himself, icing his face. The only two who are actually having any fun are Claire and Quil and that's only because the lodge installed some old arcade games.

"Having fun yet?" I smile at Jacob and perch on his lap, martini in hand. He's sitting on a leather armchair near the window. We can see the mountains in the moonlight. The snow looks beautiful.

"Everyone is in a mood," he says, wrapping his arms around me, pulling me further onto his lap.

"How's your mood?" I ask him, sipping my martini and offer him some.

He shakes his head, lifting his whisky, "good… why do you ask?"

"Another pregnancy," I shrug.

"You're not ready, love. I already told you that I can wait," he says, taking a sip of his drink.

"And you're not disappointed?" I ask him out of curiosity.

"Do you want me to lie to you?" he asks me.

I shake my head.

"Okay, I am disappointed," he replies, "but I respect your feelings on the matter... so we wait," he says, leaning into my hair. "I should have checked in with you sooner before I let my dreams run wild," he says, picking up a lock of my hair and playing with it between his fingers.

His dreams?

"Tell me about your dreams," I smile. I want to know what he's been daydreaming about.

"A nice big house. Big enough that our family can live comfortably. Not too big that it isn't homey," he elaborates. "A bunch of kids," he smiles, "cute ones, of course."

"Of course," I smile at him.

"A great backyard so they don't have to go far to play with a fire pit and a pool. A room for all of your instruments so you can compose music to your heart's content in peace… And off on the west side of the house will be a solarium with a glass ceiling where we can lay in hammocks on summer nights and watch the stars."

"Wow," I'm speechless. My heart swells. He's put a lot of thought into this. My stomach flips listening to him describe this future. It makes me realize that maybe I want this future too.

"And when the kids are old enough we'll come here for the winter holidays and they can play with all of their cousins… well, providing that our friends are still having kids when we get around to it," he says.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"They're building their families now," he replies, "we'll be considerably behind. The age gap between our kids and theirs will kind of matter if they're going to be friends." he explains.

Oh… I sip my martini and then bite my lip. Maybe we shouldn't wait then…

"What's wrong?" Jacob asks.

"Nothing," I smile at him.

"I know when something is wrong, Ness," he says, looking into my eyes.

"I… I just… Maybe we shouldn't wait," I reply.

"But you're not ready. You told me you're not ready."

"I know but… maybe it's not all about me," I reply.

"Nessie," he sighs.

"No. Listen to me," I inhale, "how much of your life have you dedicated solely to me?" I ask but then continue before he can answer. "Like, fucking all of it… And maybe our kids would be happier if they grew up with a big crew of cousins to play with."

"I don't want you to do anything that you don't want to do, Ness."

"But if it makes you happy then it is exactly what I want to do," I reply, leaning my head down on his shoulder.

"How many of these have you had?" he asks with a smirk, taking the martini from me.

"I'm not drunk," I chuckle, letting him put my drink down on the table.

"Are you sure?" he asks, lifting my chin so I have to look at him.

"I'm sure about you. And I'm sure about us," I reply.

That makes him smile and he kisses me tenderly.

"Hey, guys," Roger says interrupting, "sorry," he says when he realises that we were having a moment, "everyone is having a pretty crappy time here… We're going to head back to the chalet," he says.

"Good idea," Jacob says, downing his drink.

The ride back to the chalet is quiet and awkward. I am convinced that we're going to have a really terrible New Year's Eve… That is until we arrive back at the chalet, unexpectedly early, and catch Sam and Emily going at it on the couch. That lightened the mood. Everyone had a good laugh, apart from Emily. She was pretty embarrassed.

Soon after Brady and Collin arrive back at the chalet with a few boxes of wine, disappointed that they missed the show, of course.

Emily retires to bed. Seth and Winnie go back to their room to talk and the rest of us go outside to ring in the New Year in the hottub.

"I feel like we're outnumbered," Leah says, she leans into my ear and whispers, "there are so many dicks in this water."

"Gross," I laugh. But she is right. Jacob, Roger, Sam, Embry, Collin, Brady and Quil surround us. The hot tub is pretty big but then again so are the guys so Leah and I are both sitting in our respective mate's lap.

Jake looks at me, wanting to know what's so funny. I shake my head. Nevermind.

"Alright, truth or dare," Collin says, mischievously.

"Fuck off," Leah laughs, "we're not playing that game. Y'all are just waiting for Nessie or I to say 'dare' so that you little perverts can get us to kiss or do some other dirty shit to each other."

I laugh.

"Busted," Jacob chuckles, pointing at Collin who attempts to look innocent. Jake adjusts how I am sitting on his lap so that I am not resting so close to his pelvis. I assume so he doesn't get excited.

"I'd kiss you," I smirk at Leah over the top of my red solo cup that is half full of red wine.

"Let's run away together," Leah grins at me.

"Do you two want to be alone?" Jacob chuckles, shaking his head.

"I'm cutting you off," Roger says, taking Leah's cup away from her playfully but then hands it back to her.

"How about some New Year's resolutions?" Sam offers.

"I know yours" Embry smirks the best he can with the swollen lip that Seth gave him earlier, "locks on doors," he teases Sam.

"You want an eye to match that lip?" Sam glowers at him.

"I know yours" Leah smirks, pointing to Embry, "lose that V card," she teases him for being a virgin.

"I knew it," Brady laughs at him.

"Dude, how old are you?" Collin chokes on his wine.

"Okay, okay… settle down," Jacob says to the younger members of the Uley pack.

Embry is visibly pissed that Leah let that one slip.

"Oh, cheer up, buttercup," Leah grins, "maybe this will be the year that you find that special someone. Then maybe you can finally get laid and stop being such an irritable asshole all the time."

"Fuck you, Leah," Embry growls.

"Kids," Jacob warns them.

"Loser," Leah continues.

"Leah," Jacob sighs.

"Bitch," Embry scowls.

"Embry!" Jacob scolds.

Leah snorts, "virgin much?"

"Barren much?" Embry shoots back. The moment that the words fly out of his mouth it is evident that he regrets them by the expression on his face.

My hand comes up to my lips to hide my gaping mouth. I cannot believe he just said that. I look over to Leah. She looks stunned. Defeated. She is completely without words.

"Embry, dude," Quil says, shocked.

"Leah I-" Embry begins.

"Get out of here right now," Jacob growls at Embry, "start running and don't you fucking stop until the sun comes up."

Embry nods, "I'm sorry, Leah," he apologises. He runs off, phasing and disappears into the night upon Jacob's orders.

It's uncomfortably silent.

"Are you okay?" Jacob asks Leah.

"Yeah," she nods. Roger holds her tightly.

"That wasn't cool. He's not done being punished," Jacob says.

"No!... Just… drop it," Leah shakes her head, "I provoked him. I should have stopped. It's my fault."

"There's no excuse for that," Roger scowls.

"Look… I think we all tend to gang up on Embry. Even bully him a little. We forget that he doesn't have anyone… Not like we do," she says looking to Roger.

Jacob nods, acknowledging her point of view.

"What were we doing before the drama?" Leah looks around, "oh, right… resolutions. I'm going to be nicer to Embry. Your turn," she looks to Roger.

"I'm going to be as forgiving as you are," He says and kisses her cheek.

Collin starts to make vomiting noises in response to his older brother's resolution

"What's your resolution?" Jacob asks, whispering in my ear.

I smile at him. I can only think of one.

I lean back, getting my lips as close to his ear as possible and whisper, "giving you a baby."

He grins at me, "do you want to get started?"