A Gift for Jacob
By Lady of Spain
Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns Twilight.
A/N: Warning-this story may be a little graphic as far as the birth scene is concerned.
"Jake . . ."
There was no answer even though he was so closely wrapped around her that he could have been her second skin. His only reply was soft snoring filling her ears.
She tried once more; this time a little louder. "Jake . . ."
He rustled the sheets, snuggling closer, his head resting in the crook of her neck.
"It's time," she said.
"Hmm?" he moaned in his sleep. He nuzzled the back of her neck with his nose. Breathing in her scent, he moaned once more.
"Jacob—wake up!"
"Wha . . ." he uttered in a sleepy haze.
"I need you—"
His eyelids began to flutter. "Again?"
"You didn't let me finish. I need you—to fill up the tub. That second little episode did the trick. I think our baby might be making an appearance sometime tonight."
His eyes suddenly snapped open, and he shot out of bed like an arrow. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure." She smiled sweetly at him.
"Stay right there. Don't move."
"Where do you think I'd be going? And don't look so surprised; I told you it would put me into labor."
He stood there in all his naked glory, silhouetted against the light streaming in through the window. His grin was unmistakable as his white teeth glinted in the glow from the full moon.
She wondered if he could see her face, because—yeah, she was rolling those big chocolate eyes at him. "Stop smirking—and thanks . . . I think. Now go call Leah, and could you at least put some shorts on?"
"What are you so worried about. It's only Leah. She's seen me naked plenty of times."
She was not having it. She shook her head, no. "But not in our bedroom, in front of your wife. Shorts. Please!"
Jacob had everything down pat. He knew where each and every essential item for the birth was kept. The birthing tub was first on the list. So filling it was his number one priority.
Nervous and excited, happy yet scared, he was thankful that he and one of the elders had given her a blessing the night before. It brought peace to his soul. He had faith that Bella and the baby would be okay.
While the tub was filling, he phoned Leah.
"Leah," he spit out in a rush. "Bella's in labor."
"Calm down, everything will be fine. Do you need me to come over right now?"
Shrugging his shoulders, he replied, "How should I know? This is my first."
"Well, how far apart are her contractions?"
"Jeez, I don't know." he answered, embarrassed.
"Jacob," Leah retorted, sounding exasperated, "Why did you call if you didn't have any information to give to me?"
"'Cuz Bells told me to call you. Here, maybe you better talk to her."
Handing the phone to Bella, he sat down on the bed next to her. She gave Leah the update.
"Sounds like you have a ways to go yet. Call me in a couple of hours if you need to, sooner if things start speeding up. Oh, and for god's sake, tell Jake to get a grip. I don't want to havta throw daddy out of the room."
His knee was bouncing up and down making the bed jiggle. "I heard that! Get a grip . . ." he grumbled. "I'm as calm as a . . . as a . . . I'm calm, okay?" That's what he told himself, anyhow.
The time ticked by so slowly it seemed. The tub was filled, the water turned off, and grapefruit seed extract added; it was ready to go. Jacob checked the temperature to make sure it was heated correctly at 100 degrees. The tarp had already been laid out under the tub and he was now draping some towels over a chair, along with some baby blankets, clothes and diapers. A box sat beside the bed with some other supplies. He put an old sheet on the bed when Bella went to the bathroom. The sheet was lined with a new plastic shower curtain underneath to protect the mattress from blood stains and in the event that her water should break.
The two of them lay in the bed facing each other. He was keeping a watchful eye on her. Bella shifted slightly, letting out a small grunt. Her eyes peeped at Jacob who was lying there as still as a statue, with both of his wide open.
"Stop staring at me. You're making me nervous." Geesh, you'd think she was going to explode or something. "Go to sleep, Leah says it'll be hours yet."
"Are you kiddin' me? I can't sleep; I'm too wound up.
"How much longer do you think it'll be?" He reached out and touched her cheek, tracing the planes of the face he loved.
"I don't know, Jake. This is my first too, remember? Maybe you should phase and run off some of that excess energy."
"Not on your life. I'm not leaving your side. That'll make me nervous."
Bella sighed. "Suit yourself, but I'm going to try and sleep. You should too. I can always wake you up again if things start happening."
His warm brown eyes softened, the love in them unmistakable. "Before you go back to sleep, can I tell you something? I don't think you realize how long I've dreamed of this moment—of you having my baby. It's been years; ever since I was seventeen. I can barely believe it. You've made me so happy. I know I don't say it enough, but I love you, Bells."
"I love you too, sweetheart." She ran her hand through his hair, cooing, "Close your eyes. We both need some rest. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
Jacob had finally crashed only to be awakened at 4 A.M. by Bella's whimpering. He didn't want to wake her; she needed as much rest as possible. They don't call it labor for nothing. He stayed in the bed beside her until the pains were uncomfortable enough to interrupt her sleep.
She tried to wiggle out of Jacob's arms. "Jake, you need to let go of me. I gotta pee really bad."
Ever the attentive husband, he inquired, "Do you need some help to the bathroom?"
"No, I'm fine, I can walk." She sat on the edge of the bed, ready to get up and faltered. She let out a few breaths and stood.
"You all right?" he asked nervously.
"Yeah, they're just getting a little stronger. I'm going to walk around a little bit after I get out of the john."
"I'll walk with you, but I want you to eat something first." Jacob raced out to the kitchen and came back carrying some cereal, toast, and juice.
Bella came out of the bathroom. "There's a little bit of blood in the toilet. Don't flush it until Leah looks at it." Ugh! She had a ton of contractions while she was on the toilet. They were stronger and longer lasting too. It made relieving herself quite difficult.
He put the tray down on the nightstand. "You want me to call her?"
Her face contorted in pain again as she leaned over, grabbing the top lip of the dresser.
Jacob punched the speed dial on the cell. "Never mind, I'm callin' right now."
The phone barely rang on the other end when he heard, "I'm on my way."
Bella tried to eat, but she was too nervous. Leah had told her that she had to keep hydrated though, so she drank all the juice. Jacob got her some more, along with a couple containers of bottled water.
While he was busy on the phone, letting all the grandparents know what was happening, Leah showed up. He said his goodbye quickly, so he could see what help was needed.
Leah was in the bathroom already flushing the toilet. She came out and put a hand on Bella's swollen belly, feeling the intensity of the contractions, and measuring the duration. Then she got out her fetoscope and listened for the baby's heartbeat.
"Well, Jacob, looks like you're going to be a daddy today, huh?" She looked over at the shorts he was wearing, and commented. "I hope those are your swim trunks you've got on, because Bella might want you in the tub with her."
He blinked, stupidly.
"Well, don't just stand there. Get a move on. I need a pot of boiling water to put my instruments in. Why are you looking at me like that? Don't worry she's in good hands. I've delivered over seventy babies. Believe me; she'll be fine for a few minutes without you hovering over her like a damn vulture.
"I'm gonna be doing an internal exam, too." She turned to Bella then. "Is it okay if Jacob stays in the room, while I do it? Or would you rather he leave and make some noise with the pots and pans?"
Bella looked at Jacob apologetically. "Jake, can we have a minute alone? Please?"
Leah handed him a container with the instruments and waved him away. "Go on, shoo!"
Man, that Leah was bossy. Sure she may have delivered seventy some babies, but this was different. This was his wife and his baby. He grumbled as he placed the instruments in the bottom of a pot and filled it with water.
His sensitive ears overheard his pack sister telling Bella to breathe normally and try to relax. There was a sharp intake of air, and a loud moan of pain as Leah examined her. It was all he could do to restrain himself from racing to her bedside, as her moaning continued.
As soon as he heard Leah tell his wife that she was progressing nicely, he turned on the burner, and replaced the lid. Then he high-tailed it back to the bedroom to be with the soon-to-be mother of his child.
"Well . . ." He looked at Leah, expectantly.
"She's halfway there. Things are gonna go a lot faster now. I want you two to walk around. That'll speed things up even more."
"Yeah, we were just getting to that part when you showed up." Offering his hand to Bella, he said, "C'mon, honey, let's get this show on the road. I'm anxious to meet the star of this production." He helped Bella out of bed and stood next to her with his arm about what was left of her waist.
"Good job, Jacob, you get a gold star for listening in class."
About a half an hour or so passed while the couple walked around aimlessly. Every few steps or so, Bella would stop, put her arms around Jacob's neck and cling to him as the contraction racked her body. Jacob never felt so helpless in his life, but there was nothing he could do about it. After the last contraction, Bella finally relented and remarked, "I think I need to get in the tub."
Leah replied, "I think you're right, but let me have a listen first."
She touched the scope to Bella's abdomen once more, and nodded her approval. Then she took her blood pressure. "You're doin' great, girl."
Jacob knelt down, outside the tub, facing his love. With each pain, she would grab his neck. As his arms held her, Bella leaned into him, hanging on for dear life. Her low moans were tearing him up. He would do anything to trade places with her.
At one point, Bella got out of the tub on her own to use the bathroom. She suddenly slipped on the wet tarp. Thank god Jacob was there to catch her in time. In the next few minutes, Jacob was placing towels along the outside of the tub to prevent any further mishaps.
In between each contraction, Bella would ask questions, like, "Did you remember to call my dad? Are the dishes all washed? I'm not getting too pruney. Am I?" Then another wave would hit, and she'd turn all serious again.
The birth was getting very close, and Bella began to shake. A very strong contraction was starting; she began to panic. Her eyes were wide, bewildered by the force of the contractions. She whimpered, "Jacob, I'm scared!"
He held her tightly, whispering words of encouragement. "I know, honey. I'm scared too, but it'll be okay. The baby's gonna be here, and you'll get to hold our love in your arms. It'll be over soon, I promise."
"Oh, oh—I can feel the baby coming. Jake!" Another rush hit her and at the peak of the contraction, she gave a guttural grunt. Her belly was bearing down all on its own. She became very restless moving about, unable to get comfortable. Bella gripped the edge of the tub, and then exhaled in a whimpering sigh. "I can't do this . . ." she shook her head in despair and closed her eyes. ". . . it's too hard. I can't."
Leah knelt beside Jacob. There was some blood and mucus swirling around Bella's legs, signaling that her cervix was almost completely dilated. She told Jacob, "That baby's coming, now, so you better get in the tub."
She turned her attention to the new mother. "Look at me, Bella; you're almost done, and you're doing so well. Now, I need you to stay focused. Don't hold back; you don't want that baby in there any longer than necessary. Let's do this. Now, I want you to squat. On the next contraction, if you feel the urge to push, go ahead and do it. But, just little pushes, to see how it feels. If it hurts, stop. If you really feel like you have to push, then bear down as hard and as long as you can."
Jacob got in, one leg at a time, as the water sloshed over the top. He got down on his knees in the warm water, then rocked back, resting on his heels.
"Jacob, I want you to watch for the head. When you see that it's totally out, sweep your finger around the baby's neck to check for the cord. If you feel it, let me know and I'll take care of it or let you know how to handle it. The baby should slide right out, after it turns. Whatever you do, don't tug or pull on the baby's head at all. You can put your hand under the head to support it if you'd like to."
He was a nervous wreck—his hands were trembling uncontrollably—but he kept it all inside for Bella's benefit.
She grunted and moaned as she pushed with all her might. It took quite a few good pushes to get any results. To Bella, it seemed like she was pushing forever. "I can't do this anymore, I'm so tired."
"Don't quit now, Bells. I know you can do this. You're almost done—just a few more pushes." He was hoping that baby would just get here already. It was worse than torture watching his sweetheart suffer like this.
One more contraction started. "Oh god," she cried. "Jake!"
During the next pain, as she continued to bear down, Jacob starting yelling in his excitement, "Bella, I can see a little bit of the head, keep pushing, honey!"
With a few more pushes, and some painful cries, the head had finally emerged. Jacob followed Leah's instructions, and with shaking hands, carefully delivered his baby. He was holding the little bundle in his large hands, gazing in awe at the miracle before him. His eyes watered as he handed his first child to Bella.
"My gosh . . . it's a girl—it's a girl! Isn't she beautiful? God, I love you, Jacob." Bella sobbed as she held her baby girl to her breast.
Leah took the bulb syringe from the box on the floor and leaned over the lip of the tub. She motioned Bella to get closer, and when she did, Leah removed the remaining mucus from the baby's nose and mouth. While Jacob assisted his wife and newborn out of the tub, Leah grabbed two large towels, one to wrap around the baby, and the other to wrap around Bella. Once they were toweled off, Jacob helped his wife onto the bed and then pulled a blanket over the two of them. Bella was already shivering. Leah scribbled down the date on her notepad, December 22nd, and the time of the birth, 10:33 A.M.
Leah observed the baby's skin color to make sure that she was getting enough oxygen from the placenta since the cord was still attached. She also made sure that the baby was breathing okay. Everything looked good; baby was pink, squirmy, very alert and breathing just fine.
"Keep them warm, Jacob. You better turn off this fan over the bed and put the little cap on her head. I'm going to get my supplies from the kitchen."
She left the little family alone for those few precious moments. Jacob kissed Bella tenderly and placed a few on the baby's tiny head before putting the cap on her. "Hi, Carlie," he whispered through his tears. "I've been waiting so long to meet you. I'm your daddy and that's your mommy holding you." His eyes turned away from the child for a brief moment and met the chocolate pools lovingly peering back at him. His heart was just about to burst with joy.
Leah came back with one of Bella's cookie trays covered in a chux. The instruments were laid across it. She checked the cord to see if it was through pulsating. It was white and limp, ready to be detached. "Okay, daddy, are you ready to cut the cord?"
"Can I?" he asked, startled.
"It's your baby. You can do it if you want to."
"Sure, sure." Jacob frowned slightly. "It's not going to hurt her, is it?"
"Give me back that gold star. No, it's not gonna hurt the little gal. Now, go wash your hands."
Gloving herself, she handed him two umbilical clamps. "Put the first one about one and a half inches away from the baby's little belly there." She watched as Jacob placed the clamp. "That's good. Now the other goes—yeah, right about there."
"Just like attaching a radiator hose," he quipped.
Bella laughed. "I knew someday your automotive skills would come in handy."
"Here's the scissors; do the honors."
His grin was threatening to split his face in half as he cut the cord.
"Okay, I need to weigh and measure her, so hand her over, Jacob. What did you name her anyway, so I can put it on the birth record?"
"Carlie Star," they both said in unison.
Leah got out her portable scale and when she had finished, said, "Seven pounds and two ounces." Her measuring tape was used next. "Twenty one inches from head to foot."
Carlie began to wail. "Oh, little one, don't cry; here's your mommy." Placing her back in Bellas's arms, Leah proceeded to the next task at hand.
She helped Bella attach the baby's mouth to her breast. A few minutes later, Bella was complaining of afterbirth pains. Her uterus was clamping down.
Leah checked to see if the cord had lengthened letting her know that the placenta had detached from the wall of her uterus. It was, and there was some blood gushing onto the sheets.
"I know you're tickled pink and everything, but you still have work to do. With the next contraction, I need you to push that placenta down the canal And Jacob, hand me that flashlight, I want to make sure there are no tears." Suddenly, Leah reached out and grabbed a metal basin she had set on the bed to catch the slippery placenta.
Bella was tickled pink, she was also plum tired. "Do I have to?" she groaned.
Leah put her hands on her hips and replied. "No—you can keep it right where it is and let every cat and dog in La Push follow you around for a few days."
Needless to say, the placenta was delivered, Carlie got rubbed down with a baby blanket and clothed, and Jacob emptied and sanitized the tub.
Emily brought dinner to them, so they could enjoy their first night as a family. But this story did not end here.
For the past couple of weeks, Bella struggled with the issue of no money for Christmas. All the expenses involved in the upcoming birth, had eaten their savings, with nothing left over. What was she going to do? She was too exhausted to make homemade gifts, and wasn't much in the holiday spirit either. Jacob on the other hand was so talented. Give him a hunk of wood and some carving tools, and he could whittle away a Pieta.
After giving birth to their daughter, she had to worry about Jacob's Christmas present. December 25th was only three days away, and still nothing came to her.
Christmas morning arrived. There were a few small gifts that Jacob had made for her along with a hand-crafted wooden cradle. Bella was nursing her newborn when suddenly she got an idea. Carlie finished nursing and was fast asleep. She put her down in her bassinet and called to wake her sweetheart.
Jacob came out of the bedroom a few minutes later, bleary-eyed, yawning and ruffling the hair on his head. He stopped and stared, then smiled that Jacob smile, because under the Christmas tree was a gift for Jacob. It was a special delivery that he himself had helped deliver. Carlie was lying there, still asleep, all bundled up in a baby blanket with a big bow on her head. No other gift could ever compare with the gift that sat before him. It was the gift of life that he and Bella created together out of their love for each other.
The End