SM owns Twilight. We just want to live in her world a bit longer.
Chapter 44
Two months later
"Bella, honey, we've got to go," Jake called up the stairs. "We're going to be late!"
"Give me a second," she replied impatiently. "I have to throw up again."
Jake sighed as he heard her walk into the bathroom. He headed into the Swan's yellow kitchen to wait for her. Bella had been hit with morning sickness not long after they found out. He still wonders why they called it morning sickness. She would vomit two or three times a day. And, it seemed to hit at random intervals, even sometimes in the middle of the night.
Jake had tried to be there for her, but she grew impatient at the whole deal and eventually banned him from the bathroom. She would apparently rather vomit alone.
"Better?" he asked when she appeared downstairs. She wore a tight singlet that showed off her tiny baby bump and a loose flannelette shirt. He loved the sight of her pregnant; Red loved the sight of her pregnant. It made the coil in his stomach tighten whenever he saw her bump. Bella complained that her pants didn't fit anymore.
"Much," she said.
"Can we go now?"
"I just need something to eat on the way," she said as she opened the pantry door to look for a snack. He could never understand how she could vomit and then eat straight afterward. She said she felt much better after being sick, and if she ate straight away, it would keep the nausea at bay for longer.
Jake looked at the clock and grimaced. They were definitely going to be late.
"I saw that," she complained. "It's not my fault."
He didn't say anything, just gave her a who's fault is it look. She had spent half an hour looking for something to wear.
"It's your fault for knocking me up," she told him.
"Only my fault?" he asked with a grin.
"Yes, I'm pretty sure I just laid there, and you did most of the work," she said, trying to hide her smile. She turned away from Jake and started filling a water bottle up at the sink.
He walked up behind her and listened to her body's reaction. Then, he placed his hands on the bench, either side of her, and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "if I remember correctly, you said, 'make me yours.' So I did."
He smirked when her body shuddered, and she nearly dropped the water.
It had come to light later that part of the prophecy was left out at the initial reveal. Apparently, they would conceive at the same time. Sybil said that even though they didn't know at the time, she knew, which is all that mattered. She said they couldn't have handled the truth that night, which was probably true.
Much to Jake's chagrin, the pack found out. Quil teased him relentlessly and threatened to dob him in for the TV show "16 and pregnant." He would be titled, "Jacob Black, 16-year-old vampire hunter, knocked older girlfriend up his first time".
Bella turned around and faced Jacob. "I am yours," she said as she snaked her arms around his neck. He could feel his pants getting tight against her body.
He leaned down to kiss her, and she turned her head at the last moment, and he kissed her cheek. "No time for that," she said cheekily, entirely aware of what she was doing to him. "We're going to be late."
He growled at her and pulled away. "Tease," he muttered under his breath.
"Pretty sure you started it this time," she smirked as she grabbed a bag of hard pretzels, two apples, and her water bottle before they walked towards the front door.
When they opened the front door, a few snowflakes fluttered in. "You sure you don't want a jacket?" Jake asked her.
Bella rolled her eyes at him and continued towards the truck. "I'm sure."
Another side effect of the new covenant was an increase in body temperature. The girls were not as hot as the boys (pun not intended). Much to Dr. Witt's angst, he watched as their temperatures slowly increased, and it seemed to stabilize at around 104 degrees Fahrenheit. It is just enough to kill any bug or bacteria they may catch, causing them to remain healthy.
Bella loved the fact that she barely ever felt cold anymore. It came in handy living in the Pacific Northwest, where the average temperature for the whole year was only 56 degrees. Jake still felt warm to the touch to her, which she was immensely grateful for. However, their bed got way too hot.
As Sybil predicted, their parents also started to show the effects of the covenant. Dr. Witt monitored their health and was pleased when things like Billy's diabetes decreased to the point that he was almost considered not diabetic anymore.
One day Jake woke to find his dad crying in the kitchen. He thought something bad must have happened; he had not seen Billy cry since his mother's death. But Billy revealed that he was getting feeling back in his feet. With physical therapy, it was estimated he would be able to walk again within a few months.
Charlie was thrilled at his heightened senses. It made his day job a hell of a lot easier. He could track someone from an item left at a crime scene or smell if someone was lying to him. Much to Bella's amusement, he took up running as well, saying that he had much more energy these days and his knee no longer bothered him. She teased him that he was doing it to get the ladies. But they both knew he was still sweet on Sue.
Half an hour after leaving home, Jake and Bella drove into La Push and pulled up at a house. Their new house.
Today they were doing a final walk-through with Sam before moving in tomorrow.
"Hey," Sam called out when they arrived. "How are you feeling, Bella?"
"Hungry and nauseous, at the same time. How is that even possible?" she said, putting a pretzel into her mouth.
Sam chuckled, "I remember when Emily was like."
"Tell me again, how long did Emily get morning sickness for?" she asked, fully aware of the answer already.
"Ah, I think hers finished at around twelve weeks."
"Huh, did you hear that, Jake? Twelve weeks. How many weeks am I now?"
He rolled his eyes, "Fourteen and growing more beautiful every day."
"Fourteen and nauseous every day," she said as she walked towards the house. "I swear if this doesn't stop soon, I'll be banning you from ever touching me again, Jacob Black."
Sam chuckled again before whispering to Jake, "just wait until the hormones change and her sex drive goes through the roof."
"Oh, it already has," Jake smirked.
"I heard that," Bella called out ahead of them.
"Well," Sam said a little louder. "It sounds like we are just in time for getting you your own place, then."
"I was afraid of being kicked out again," Jake told Sam honestly.
"Charlie's increased hearing capabilities getting in the way?" Sam asked with a grin.
"You'd hardly need supernatural hearing," Jake muttered.
"Hey!" Bella called out from the front porch of their new house. "You know I can hear you, right?"
The boys looked a little guilty but also amused.
"Come on, Samuel Uley, show me what you've got for us…I hate having to be quiet."
Sam and Jacob laughed at Bella. She had a newfound confidence, and Jake loved it. Bella had found her place in the world and was flourishing.
Sam and the boys had done an amazing job on the house. It used to be Jacob's Aunty Nora's house. However, she passed away unexpectedly twenty years ago, before having kids. Since then, her house had sat vacant and was in terrible disarray before the boys took on the project.
Bella fell in love with the house the first time she saw it. It was close enough to the beach that you could see the sand through a thin line of trees. Billy's place was within walking distance, as was the local shop. They hadn't finished the outside of the house yet. It still needed a fresh lick of paint, but the inside was ready.
Sam opened the front doors to reveal their new lounge room, complete with polished timber floors and an upgraded fireplace.
"Holy crow, Sam!" Bella exclaimed. "This is amazing."
To the left of the front door was a small area that was previously used to store junk. Sam had turned it into a small study, with a built-in seat in the bay window. In addition, he had installed some bookshelves along the wall for Bella's many books and a small desk for their computer. Bella tested out the seat and sighed, spotting a huge smile. She could see the whole front yard, and it would be a perfect reading spot for her.
Next, they walked through the lounge and into the dining area. They had the original area extended so they could fit an oversized dining table in it. Paul designed and hand-made it for them. Bella wanted enough room to feed the whole pack at once, so they decided on bench seats for each side.
On the opposite side of the lounge was the kitchen. Bella squealed when she saw it and raced around the island bench, running her hands all over it. "Ah, Sam! You are a miracle worker."
She gushed over the kitchen, opening the double fridge and double ovens. She looked like a kid on Christmas Day as she opened each cupboard and walk-in pantry. In the end, they had decided to use a bit of the Cullen's money on the house, and most of it went into the kitchen. It was almost a commercial kitchen, the way Bella had set it up.
The rest of the house barely had any furniture; they would add to it as they went. But the kitchen was fully stocked.
Sam took them down the passageway and showed them the three bedrooms and two bathrooms. It was designed so they could add more rooms in the future if they needed. All the bedrooms were empty for the moment. They were moving their bed over tomorrow.
Jake designed the bathrooms himself. He wanted a rain shower head so he could stand under it without having to duck down. Jake had a shower seat installed as well. He told Bella he had 'plans' for that step. They put a large bath in the main bathroom for the kids, but it was also large enough to fit Jake and Bella together.
When they had finished the tour, Bella was so excited. She hugged Sam repeatedly and thanked him for getting it done so quickly. They had also been balancing getting some work done on Embry and Leah's place. Although, theirs hadn't required as much work. Bella had secretly paid for over half of their renovations.
As soon as Sam left, Jake had Bella pinned up against the front door. He kissed her until she was begging for more. It didn't take long for them to christen their new house. Any wolf coming through those doors would know immediately whose place this was. This was his house, his and his mate's.
He couldn't fool Bella, though. "Are you marking your territory?" she asked him when they had finished.
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Good," she replied. "Next is the kitchen. That is mine." She still surprised him sometimes.
Jacob picked her up and carried her to the kitchen, sitting her on the island bench. He kissed down her neck to his mark, and she moaned, wrapping her legs around his waist. "This is where we started, isn't it?" Jake asked. "In that cabin up in Canada. You and me in the kitchen."
"It feels like a lifetime ago," she said wistfully.
"I'm so glad you came and found me."
"Best decision I ever made."
The kitchen bench was too high for the activities Jake had in mind, so with her back, standing on the ground, facing the bench, he took her again. He had to remind her not to grip too tightly to their new bench. She would be upset if she left finger gouges in the wood. He didn't have to remind her to be quiet, and she wasn't.
The following morning, Charlie helped them load all of Bella's boxes into her trusty truck, with their dismantled bed stacked on top. She really didn't have a lot of stuff, and most of it was already in boxes. She never unpacked it after she canceled the wedding.
Charlie tried to keep it together as they pulled away, but he was sad to see his baby girl leave home.
When they arrived, Bella opened the front door and smiled. She was incredibly contented to be in her own home.
"Jeez, B, you could have left the windows open last night," Leah complained as she came through the front doors carrying three boxes of books. Bella wasn't allowed to lift anything, even though she felt like she could lift a car.
"Why would I want to do that?" she asked innocently.
"I thought you had super senses now too. Can't you smell that?"
"Yes, I do, and yes, I can," she said with a wink.
"Is it even safe to eat in here?" Embry complained, placing a box on the kitchen bench.
"Of course. I'm not an animal!"
Jacob laughed as he entered the house with two of their newest recruits in tow. Max and Daniel had both phased, two weeks after they were told about the pack. They both sniffed the air and grimaced as they walked in.
Jake walked up to Bella and kissed her soundly on the lips. "Welcome home," he whispered to her.
Someone or rather two someones groaned behind them, obviously complaining about their PDA.
"Max! Dan!" Leah yelled at them. "Have some respect."
"Go grab some more boxes," Embry instructed them.
"Sorry, Mama B, Jake," they muttered and shuffled back outside.
Embry and Leah, Jake's beta couple, had taken the new puppies under their wings and were practically parenting them. Max was proving to be particularly difficult, but he was falling into line with some tough love, mainly from Leah. While the beta couple looked after the wolves, Bella looked after the boys; they were only thirteen after all. She made sure they ate enough food, did their homework, and got enough sleep.
Over the past two months, they had had three separate attacks, and each time a new couple of teenagers phased. They were all cousins of the original pack, ranging between thirteen and eleven years old.
When the second pair, Joseph and Simon, showed signs of phasing, Jake assigned them to Sam and Paul. Sam got to put his history to good use after Joe imprinted on Simon's girlfriend, Abi. She was not in on the pack secret yet. Paul took Simon under his wing.
They were both excellent trainers, and the new boys took to their mentors well. It also gave Sam a renewed purpose. He and Jake's relationship was still not back to how it was before, but maybe it never would.
A week ago, they had a third attack, and with the new buddy system in place, Jared and Quil were ready to take on the new puppies, Jude and Ezra. They were the youngest and most apprehensive of them all. However, with Quil's joking manner coupled with Jared's firm ruling, they were starting to settle in.
As the morning progressed, more of the pack arrived to lend a helping hand.
Bella, Emily, and Eva were busy in the kitchen, trying their hardest to keep up with their wolves' appetites. They were having a housewarming party tonight, and Bella was determined to make a cake in her new oven. Rachel and Kim supervised the unpacking of boxes and assembling the little furniture they did have.
In the early afternoon, a few of the pack's parents started dropping by. They had housewarming presents for Jacob and Bella. Jake told them it wasn't necessary, but they wouldn't take no for an answer. They all claimed they had things they didn't need anymore. A second-hand couch, a rocking chair for the nursery, a double bed for the spare room, and a few additional appliances for the kitchen.
In the afternoon, Billy and Charlie arrived. They had splurged on a new TV for the living room. Bella suspected it was mostly for them, so they wouldn't miss a game when they were visiting.
Bella looked around her house at her new family, all joking and laughing together. They brought her so much joy she felt she could burst. She knew life would not always be perfect, but she was happy to take what she could from each day.
A/N A bit of a fluff chapter to get you up to date. I hope you enjoyed Bella's newfound confidence. It was so much fun to write.