FAGE… The 13th.
Title: Picking Up the Pieces
Written for: Jadiona
Written By: NCChris
Rating: M
Summary/Prompt used: Post-Twilight/New Moon AU - Jake/Bella/Paul MMF tragic romance; I do my own beta'g and banner making, so any errors or lame banners are all mine. I do not own Twilight or any of the characters, nor do I make any money from writing this story. Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer; I'm just playing in her sandbox. This is not an overly lemony fic, but there are a few scenes. Please do not read if you are under 16. Thanks!
If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the Facebook group: Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps, or add the C2 to get all the stories direct to your inbox. You will find all FAGE entries for this year and the previous ones at FAGE… The 13th community page.
Ch. 8 - Baby Fever
Disclaimer: Twilight and all its characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. This is a work of fiction based on her world and characters. I don't own any of it, except my plot bunny. This isn't an overly lemony fanfic, but there are some adult scenes. Please don't read this story unless you are old enough; 18+ would be best. I hope you enjoy this short story!
Bella and Paul wandered through the store hand in hand, a print-out of Jared & Kim's baby registry guiding them as they arrived at the baby department. Paul enjoyed watching Bella as she touched different items, testing softness, weight, and textures to decide between options. She deferred to him on design or color once determining which felt better to her given the options.
Paul had never much thought about having a family; in fact, he'd pretty aggressively avoided having one accidentally over the years, but watching Bella deliberate on which hooded towel or blanket sleeper felt the nicest or had the most soothing texture for Jared and Kim's impending little one had him thinking about things differently.
The last few months with Jake and Bella had taught him that he didn't have to repeat his parents' mistakes. He could choose to treat his lovers with respect; he could demand respect in return; he could be a good dad, maybe.
They finished their shopping without Paul mentioning any of his inner thoughts, but Bella could tell he had something on his mind; she could always tell.
The second he cranked the truck for the drive back to La Push, she asked if he wanted to talk about it. He chuckled as she took his hand across the console, but he told her. Once he started, it just all poured out, the abuse he lived through with his parents, the desire for a family, how much he loved her and Jake, how the last couple months had been the best of his life, how he was fucking terrified of having a family, but he wanted it, too. Throughout it all, Bella listened; she never interrupted, she just let him vomit it all out until the words finally ran dry. They sat in silence for a few moments while she thought about everything he'd said. He liked that about Bella. She didn't talk a lot, only when she actually had something to say.
Eventually, as they approached the garage halfway between Port Angeles and La Push, where Jake had taken a job apprenticing with the owner, to pick him up, she admitted that she'd done a lot of mothering for her parents as a child and teenager. Because of that, she'd never really wanted to have kids, but lately, she'd been thinking about what it might be like to have a family with him and Jake. She scoffed a little when he carefully suggested that the imprint might be driving their changed feelings.
They both knew that Jake loved kids. He was forever volunteering to be a "big brother" or playing with Emily's little niece, Claire, or one of Jared's little siblings. Paul and Bella had always shied away from the topic though, both of them hesitant.
As Paul pulled into the garage parking lot, Bella wondered aloud if it even mattered if it was the imprint driving this change of heart. Paul shrugged and agreed that it probably didn't matter. Between the three of them, they should be able to be good parents for any kids that might come, filling in gaps for each other. He left Bella smiling softly as he kissed her and jogged inside to pick Jake up from work.
Later that week, Paul leaned against the wall in the Cameron's living room while Kim sat in the recliner and opened presents from the mountain heaped beside the chair. Her family hadn't shown up and, though they'd disowned her when she got involved with Jared while they were still in high school, she'd hoped they would put it behind them and that the coming baby might bring them together again. It didn't look like that was going to happen, but Jared and Kim had plenty of eager aunties and uncles in the Pack to dote on the first Pack baby.
As Kim beamed at everyone with each present that was meticulously unwrapped and catalogued on a notepad by Emily, Jake whispered in Bella's ear, describing in great detail each gift, Kim's reaction, and all the other pertinent facts. Paul couldn't help his own sappy grin when he saw how excited Bella was when Kim got to the first of the presents from them.
She loved giving gifts and was often busy crocheting or knitting things for their friends and family. She'd been making a baby blanket for the last few weeks, spending hours in the evening after dinner working on it while he and Jake watched TV or read aloud from whatever book they were reading together. She'd finally finished only the night before and she was practically vibrating with excitement as Kim let out a gasp before bursting into sobs.
He pushed off the wall as Jake took Bella's hand as she frowned and started to apologize for upsetting the heavily pregnant young woman. Paul relaxed as Kim struggled to her feet and waddled as fast as she could over to where Bella was sitting, still visibly upset at having presumably upset Kim, and threw her arms around her. Jake grinned at him from across the room as Kim tearfully thanked Bella for making such a beautiful afghan for the baby.
It turned out that Kim had an aunt that always crocheted a baby blanket for the new babies in the family, but since her family had disowned her, her baby would be the first without a handmade afghan. Jake rubbed Bella's back and kissed her forehead after Jared came over and helped Kim back to the recliner to resume opening presents.
Drama over, the shower resumed. Games were played, finger sandwiches were consumed, and cake was cut and enjoyed. Jake, Paul, and the other guys helped Jared lug everything down the hall to the small spare room, a converted back porch, that they were going to use as a nursery until Jared & Kim could save up for their own place. Bella helped the women with clean-up, washing dishes while Kim sat at the kitchen table and tucked leftovers into Tupperware.
Jake and Paul came up behind Bella while she washed dishes and each kissed her cheeks, eliciting sighs from the other women, as they gathered up their girl to head home. Bella was exhausted from the busy day and they could tell she needed some quiet time before her body started protesting. She still tired more easily, even so long after her attack, and she hadn't slept much the night before.
The two men took their mate home, the three of them thinking more seriously about a day in the near future when they might welcome a baby into their little family like Jared and Kim were.
