A.N. Sorry if I made you wait a bit longer than usual but I've had a lot of stuff to deal with lately. However, I hope that this chapter does not disappoint.

Disclaimer: I only own little Jeremy Jacob and the plot; nothing else.

Chapter 21: 10, 9, 8,7…

Bella's POV

Only ten days were left until our little Jeremy would be born. Jasper was being such a sweetheart. He was constantly taking care of me and he handled me as if I were a butterfly about to crack in his arms. We were now sharing my room and every night, Jasper would sing me to sleep, cradling my belly. I loved him even more than I had loved him before he had left and I knew that he felt the same way. Everything was perfect. We had told our family about our engagement.

Flashback:

"Jasper!" Esme said as she ran up to her son and threw her arms around him.
"Hey mum," he said, "I missed you."
"I missed you too dear," she told him.
"Jasper's home," I heard Carlisle's voice booming from upstairs. In an instant he was standing next to Jasper and he too wrapped his arms around the blonde major standing in front of him. I had never noticed how tall Jasper really was; he was actually taller than Carlisle. Rosalie was the next one in sequence and she threw herself into her brother's arms. She had missed Jasper terribly. Emmett hi-fived Jasper and Alice wrapped her arms around his waist. Edward patted Jasper on the back.

"I'm sorry I left," he told them, "I'm terribly sorry."
"Don't worry Jasper," Esme said, "But you shouldn't have left Bella without a chance to explain."
"I know," he said, "I've been regretting it every day of my existence. I missed her and I missed my family as well. I missed you guys."
"We missed you too," Alice said, "But you were too cunning for my visions. Had you not been so sneaky, we would have had a chance to explain the situation earlier."

"Anyway," Jasper said, "Bella and I have some news."
"I already know," Alice said as she squealed with excitement.
"I know too," Edward replied.
"This isn't fair," Rosalie huffed, "You guys know everything before the rest of the family. You and your dirty little secrets…"
"Calm down Rose," Emmett said as he smoothened down her blonde curls.
"Bella and I are engaged," Jasper said.
I emerged from behind him where I had stayed during the whole encounter so as to give them some space as a family. The moment I emerged from my hiding place, Esme crashed into me with her arms around my neck. Suddenly I was in the middle of a huge Cullen hug.

End Flashback

Jasper's POV

Nine days left until the due date. Every night I sang her to sleep and watched her beautiful face throughout the night. She looked peaceful and I received waves of calm and serenity. She had forgiven me for everything and I knew I didn't deserve it but she was that good to me, and to everyone else. Jacob was speaking to me again now, for her sake. I had met up with him the day after I had arrived to explain the situation.

Flashback

"Jacob, can you meet me up in the woods, at the clearing where we took out Victoria in about five minutes?"
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Jasper," I replied.
"Oh…you!"
"Please Jacob," I said, "For Bella."
"Sure, why not?"

I ran to the clearing and waited for him to come. He was there in less than five minutes' time. I had missed these woods and their smell.
"Jacob," I said, "I'm so sorry. To me it was the only possible situation."
"How could you do that to her?"
"You have no idea of how broken my heart has been."
"You didn't see her crumbling away into nothingness."
"I was crumbling away too," I told him.
"And I thought we were friends. How could you suspect me like that?"
"I would have smelled another guy on her at any moment, and I thought I was infertile."
"Well," Jacob said, "You should have given her a chance or at least called me to curse at me and then I would have explained to you the whole situation."
"I couldn't do that. I loved you and still do. The only reason why I left was because I thought you were the father and realized that the child and Bella deserved to be with you and that I should be out of the picture. I thought I wasn't wanted."
"Wait," Jacob said, "So you sacrificed your relationship with Bella so that she could be with me?"
"I thought it was what she wanted. I should have given her a chance to explain, but my heart was too broken. I know it's no excuse, but still. I hope things can be better between us. I don't want this to end up like an Edward-Bella-Jacob situation; always tense and unpredictable. I can't do that to her or to you."
"Don't worry Jasper," he replied, "I won't let it go that far. We'll try to be friends again."

I hugged him in a way that was as manly as possible and we strolled around the woods until we arrived at the treaty line and he said goodbye.

End Flashback

Bella's POV

Eight more days. I was becoming anxious. I was afraid of what would happen. Now that I had Jasper here with me, I didn't want to die during childbirth. I was afraid of losing what we now had. I wanted to see our child grow up. I wanted to be with him and with his father and the rest of our family. I couldn't die during childbirth; I would have to fight death until the end.

"I have an idea," Jasper said as I woke up that morning
"Tell me," I replied.
"I'll change you as soon as you give birth. That way, we won't have to worry about you dying because of it. And you'll be one of us."
"That's a brilliant idea Jasper," I replied, "How did you come up with it?"
"Well," he said, "I have a lot of spare time while you are asleep and I'm watching your beautiful face."
I blushed.
"There's no need for you to blush. You will soon be Mrs. Whitlock and you are going to be a very beautiful bride."
"When will we get married?" I asked.
"Soon after Jeremy's born."
"When I've regained my shape then."
He started to laugh softly.

"What?" I asked.

"You'll regain your shape immediately if I'm changing you," he told me.

"Oh right," I replied.

Jasper's POV

Seven days. Seven more days until I officially became a father and until Bella and I became parents together. Seven more days until the dreaded moment of Bella's pain during childbirth and her excruciating sufferance during her change. Seven more days until all I had read in parenting books during the last few months came into practice. Seven more days until I depended on Carlisle's help in order to ensure that my love and my baby would remain alive. Seven more days. And I was scared shitless.

Bella's POV

Six days left as a regular human. Six days left as a common-looking being. Six days left with brown eyes. Six days left with soft and warm skin. Six days left with blood pumping thorough my veins. Six days left with the need to eat, the need to sleep, the need to use the bathroom, the need to breathe. Six days left with the pace of a snail and the strength of a weakling. Six days left without superhuman senses. Six days left with the scent of freesias and strawberries. Six days left until I became a mother. Six days left until I became a vampire…six days with a beating heart.

Jasper's POV

In five days, Bella and I would become parents together. I was more afraid of changing her than of the actual birth. I was afraid that I might get bloodlust after tasting that delicious blood that was running through her precious veins. I loved Bella more than anything and I couldn't let my own clumsiness make me lose the one person I was living for. I wished someone would change her instead but she had insisted.

"Please Bella," I told her, "Let Carlisle change you."

"No," she replied, "I want your bite to be the last human memory Jazz…"

"Bella darlin'," I told her, "Please. I don't know if I can control myself. You know I've got issues."

"Jasper," she replied, "Please. There is nothing I want more. Please?"

She looked at me with her beautiful big brown eyes, trying to get me to tell her yes. I looked into that deep chocolate brown. How beautiful she was. I honestly didn't believe that there would be any change to her features once she became one of us. She was already perfect. I looked deep into that beautiful pool of chocolate and I caved.

"Of course sweet pea," I told her. And with that her eyes lit up.

Bella's POV

Four days left. My back was aching me like hell; this was going to be one big and strong baby. I wondered what he would look like. I hoped he would look like his father; Jasper was beautiful and had been beautiful even when he was still human, while I was as common as could be. Jasper insisted that he hoped the baby looked a lot like me because I was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on but I knew he was probably trying to flatter me. In this house, I could never feel beautiful with seven perfect vampires roaming around all day long. Well, I would at least soon be one of them. I wondered what I would look like. My mind drifted back to my parents. I wondered if they missed me. I wondered what Charlie thought of when he lay his head down to sleep. A silent tear ran down my cheek. I missed my father much more than I had thought I would. I also missed my mother but I had grown used to her physical absence over the past two years. I still missed her voice. I read all the emails she often sent but I never replied even though I wished I could. I knew it would be better this way. At least nobody would have to lie to hide my new state of being when I changed into a vampire.

Jasper's POV

All day and all night, I wouldn't budge from Bella's side. She was due in three days. I had three days to prepare for two big things; becoming a father and changing the love of my life without killing her. My heart was leaping with joy at the thought of all three of us becoming a family and at the thought of Bella becoming a vampire just as she had always wished to be. But I was afraid; I was afraid of changing her, I was afraid of something going wrong during the birth of our son whom I also loved unconditionally and I was mostly afraid of being too late to change Bella before she died. And the fear was eating me up inside.

Bella's POV

Two days.

"He has to be here," I told Jasper.

"I'm sure that Carlisle would find no objection," he replied, "You should call him."

"We have to tell them first," I said, "But no matter what he has to be here."

"I know," Jasper told me, "I've already told you. He's your best friend and you need him. So yes, we should ask him to come. But don't you think it would be painful for him to see you going through excruciating pain and to watch me changing you into the thing he loathes the most?"

"Jazz," I replied, "I need him."

"I know you need him," he said, "Let's just call him ok? I'm picking up waves of approval from the rest of the family."

I picked up Jasper's phone and dialed Jacob's number.

"Hello?" Billy's gruff voice answered.

"It's Bella. I need to talk to Jacob." Billy knew why I had cut contact from my father and he had decided to stick to my decision and not tell him anything, at least for Charlie's sake if not for Jacob's or mine.

"Bells!" Jacob said, "How are you? Two days huh?"

"Yeah, about that," I started.

"You're not hurt are you?" he suddenly asked.

"No, no Jake I'm not. I just wanted to ask you something," I replied.

"Sure, anything."

"Would you be here?"

"When?"

"Two days from now. I need you here Jake. You're my best friend. I need you to be here for me."

"Ok," he told me.

"I'm sorry Jake," I replied, "I know this is a painful experience for you, but I need you."

"Do I have to be there while he's changing you?"

"It's going to be a simultaneous thing so I guess so."

"It's ok Bells," he said, "I'll be there."

"Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you going to hate me after I change?"

"I'm never gonna hate you Bells."

Jasper's POV

One day. Only one day left with things the way they were. The moment Bella woke up, I brought her something to eat. I brought up her favourite breakfast foods and watched as she enjoyed them. Then, we showered and changed and I took her to our clearing so that she could enjoy being in the sunlight without glittering for one last time. We lay down on the grass and held each other as time passed by. At midday, I took her to her favourite fast food restaurant so that she could taste her favourite bacon burger for one last time and at around four in the afternoon I bought her Berry Cobbler as a take away from her favourite diner; the one she used to visit with her dad, and she absolutely loved it. In the evening, we went out to eat at the restaurant where we had gone on our first real date and she loved the food. By the time we got home, she was exhausted but at least she had eaten all she could during her last day as a human. It was a wonderful and romantic day. It was also the last day that we would be together, just us, without a child. But we were both looking forward to having little Jeremy around; we were both hopelessly in love with him. I held her belly as she slept peacefully for one last time. And then the morning came.

Bella's POV

I woke up to the beautiful morning of the due date. Jasper brought me some breakfast so that I could enjoy it again for the final time. I went to the bathroom and I showered and wore some comfortable clothes. Jacob arrived at around nine in the morning. He said he would stay there until it was ok for him to go and that he would be there no matter what. Esme cooked him something to eat; a big breakfast and he loved her food immediately. We spent the whole morning together in the living room. I sat down on the sofa between Jasper and Jacob. Alice was sitting cross-legged on the floor at my feet, with Edward at her side and Rose and Emmett were on the other couch, snuggling up. Esme was sitting on an armchair reading a book and Carlisle was getting his office ready for me. I knew this would be embarrassing but I honestly couldn't wait.

We were watching some cartoons and laughing. I looked out of the window and smiled as I felt my first contraction. And then my water broke.

A.N. I'm sorry again for the terribly long wait but I hope it was worth it. I will start working on the next chapter as soon as possible. Don't worry. You'll see Jeremy Jacob soon enough. Read and Review people :D