Chapter 12: Baby

Nessie's POV

I pushed the burning sensation in my throat to the back of mind as I listened to grandpa call the rest of the family. I listened rather closely as he explained what had happened to me. He didn't mention the baby who I was currently washing. Just as he said he wouldn't.

I finished cleaning the baby and since we had no baby clothes or diapers on hand I wrapped him up in a blanket. The blanket would have to do until we could go shopping for him.

It was at that moment that he started crying and scratching his throat. He was thirsty. I was very well aware of the feeling. Poor baby. I had to do something.

I went and knocked on my grandfather's door. "Um grandpa? I think the baby is thirsty," I knew how to make a baby bottle using regular formula since I'd babysat many times in the past. But feeding a baby blood was entirely new territory for me.

"I'll warm up some blood for him,"

"You can do that?" I asked curiously.

"Of course. We used to do that for you when you were a baby. There was nothing that you loved more than warmed up blood in a bottle. As a matter of fact we still have your baby bottles. Your mom refused to get rid of them,"

"Really?" I questioned.

"Your mother wanted to have as many keepsakes from your accelerated childhood as possible. You'd be surprised by what your mother and father still have,"

"When you say accelerated did that mean I aged faster than usual?" that didn't make any sense. But maybe that was normal for hybrids. I still had so much to learn.

"Your growth was accelerated from the moment you were conceived. Your mother was only pregnant with you for a month,"

I felt my jaw hit the floor. I never ceased to be amazed by the things that I learned about myself and my family.

"and that didn't stop when you were born either. Your accelerated growth continued after you were born,"

"Then why did it stop? What happened?"

Grandpa stopped what he was doing and faced me. "I don't know," he said. "I can only assume something happened to you after you were kidnapped. Something that stripped you of your vampire nature altogether. I have no idea what could have happened though,"

I sighed. I kind of knew that would be his answer. That seemed to be their answer for a lot of my questions. I could smell the blood boiling. It sent my throat alight in flames once again. For a brief second I was tempted to snatch the blood and drink it myself. But I was able to keep my primal instincts at bay.

"Do you want to feed him?" grandpa asked me as he held up the bottle full of red, delicious smelling blood.

I smiled happily. "I'd love to,"

"Here let me help you get setup,"

As I started feeding him I felt a sense of happiness growing inside of me. I loved babies. I'd always loved babies and young children. I'd known for awhile that I wanted to go to college and study medicine and become a pediatrician so that I could help babies and children. But it was only just now that I realized how much I wanted to have a baby of my own.

Jacob was the first person that came to my mind when I thought of potential fathers to a hypothetical baby. Why? I didn't know. Maybe it was the strong attraction I felt toward him. I felt so at peace with Jacob around. I couldn't resist the pull he had on me. I wanted to be with Jacob and if anyone was going to father my kids it was going to be him.

A horrifying thought suddenly occurred to me. "Grandpa can I ask you something?"

"Of course you can Nessie. You can ask me anything,"

"Am I capable of having children?"

Sadness flashed across my grandfather's eyes. "I don't think so Nessie. Hybrids like mules for example, who are half horse and half donkey, typically cannot produce any viable offspring. Well I can't say for sure that would be the case for you I highly suspect that it is. The chromosomal imbalance you possess would make it impossible to have a children with another human," he explained

I remembered what my grandfather had said about the chromosomal differences between our species. Humans have 23 pairs. Vampires have 25 pairs. Shape shifters and hybrids have 24 pairs. Which meant that Jacob and I had the same amount of chromosomes. Maybe that meant we were compatible.

"What if I wanted to have a baby with someone, like Jacob for example?" as soon as the words left my mouth I blushed a bright crimson red.

Grandpa looked at me in absolute shock. "Do you want to have a baby with Jacob?" he asked. I'm surprised I didn't die of embarrassment. This was not something a girl should be discussing with her grandfather.

"I, well, uh, well, I, um, maybe?" Oh God what was I doing?! "Well I'm just curious. Honestly grandpa," I didn't even sound convincing to my own ears.

"Ness you don't have to lie to me," he said.

"A lie is less embarrassing then the truth,"

"The truth is always better no matter what,"

"Well Jacob is the first person I thought of when it came to a potential father," I admitted. "I don't know why but he's the first guy that came to mind,"

Grandpa looked like he was about to laugh. "I'm not surprised Jacob is the first person you thought of. The bond you two share with one another is unlike any I've ever seen before,"

"Bond?" I asked stupidly.

"It's a bond that you've two shared since the moment you two first saw one another. The bond you two share is very real and strong. So it is only natural he's the first man you thought of,"

Then it hit me. It was another aspect of the Twilight lore that I thought I'd invented in my head. One I'd intended to introduce in a future story. It was the imprint bond. Now I understood why Jacob had been treating me the way he had been since we met. Now I knew why I felt a sense of wholeness, safety, and love in his presence. It was because I was on the receiving end of a very real concept I thought I'd completely made up. Jacob had imprinted on me.

The baby's cries caught my attention. He'd finished with the bottle. I put the bottle down and held him close to my chest. I kissed his beautiful little face.

"Is that a baby I hear?" I heard the sound of my mother asking. They were here. I'd been so focused on my own thoughts of imprinting and having a baby with Jacob that I hadn't noticed my family approaching.

"It sounds like a baby," my father said. "But why-" he didn't finish his question when he opened the door and spotted me sitting on the couch. Next to him was my mother. Behind them was the rest of the family. They were all eyeing me and the baby boy I was holding.

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