Chapter 27: In the Pink
Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns Twilight.
A/N: A portion of this chapter was extracted from a Christmas O/S, A Gift for Jacob. I will be adding and changing it a bit, but if you've read the O/S, it will will sound very familiar.
Two years had passed. Bella and Jacob were living close to the campus at Washington State University. There was one semester left between them and their degrees. Bella was doing her student teaching, and Jacob had an internship at the counseling center above the library. He and Bella would meet with Embry sometimes, he being a student there also. It helped with the homesickness.
One week was a really busy one for the couple. They had gone home for the weekend and Bella was so tired she forgot to take her pill. She took it when she remembered first thing the next morning, but those sneaky wolf sperm were fast workers, And one of them made a beeline for the target, hitting the bulls eye. Three weeks later, she was leaning over a toilet bowl heaving, and she was pretty sure she knew why. She tested herself in the next few days, and her suspicions were confirmed.
She was feeling . . . what? Worried, scared, exhilarated? Then her thoughts shifted. This was her baby—Jacob's baby. Yes, she loved Jacob, and suddenly her whole soul was filled with happiness. Their baby was growing inside of her. He or she couldn't have more loving parents. She knew Jacob would be absolutely ecstatic.
So, that afternoon after her classes, she went to the party store, picked up some balloons, and wrapped the test kit in bright paper. She drove over to the counseling center looking for Jacob.
All eyes followed Bella as she walked down the corridor to the office, balloons in hand. She found Jacob sitting behind a computer in one of the cubicles. Peeping over the edge of the wall, she made some noise to get his attention.
"Psst! Hey hotstuff."
Jacob sniffed the air, immediately alert—Bella. What was she doing here? He looked up and couldn't miss the bunch of colored balloons hovering in the air, along with the face of his wife smiling at him. What the . . .?
She pulled the balloons with her, sauntering into the tiny cubicle. Handing the wrapped present to Jacob, she waited for his response. Ripping away the wrapper, he blinked as he studied the two pink lines in the little circle. He peered at Bella, blinked again, and all at once shot out of his seat, letting out a resounding whoop.
Bella was wrapped in his arms instantly, as he kissed her face and neck. "I'm gonna be a father," he yelled over and over, his eyes misted with tears of joy.
Bella couldn't help giggling. "Does this mean you're happy, Daddy?"
"What do you think, Mommy?" he answered, his grin spreading ever wider. He danced with her around the cubicle, but then his face got serious. He held her slightly tighter, and drew her head close to his. Leaning in, he crushed her lips with his in a painfully intense, passion-filled kiss. Breaking the kiss, he gazed into her big brown eyes as if he was seeing her for the very first time.
"I love you, Bella Black," he whispered, and sealed it with another mind-blowing assault on her mouth.
One of the other workers walked into the cubicle and snorted, "Hey, no fraternizing with the students, Black!"
Bella held up her hand and wiggled her ring finger at the guy, laughing all the while.
"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm just jealous," he groaned, then walked out of sight.
Smirking, Jacob muttered, "Get your own girl, buddy. This one's taken."
"Hurry home, Jake," she said seductively, and winking, sashayed out the exit.
Jacob was suddenly feeling warmer than his usual 109 degrees.
Fast forward eight months. Jacob was working as promised him, at the Right Track rehab Center, and loving every minute of it. The job working with the youth of the community satisfied him as much as tinkering in the garage.
Bella on the other hand had to go on medical leave for obvious reasons. She had been teaching—what else—literature, at her old haunt, Forks High School for the summer. After the baby was born, she would do some substitute teaching just to keep current.
They were both happy and busy and anxiously waiting for the arrival of their little one. Finally, one night . . .
"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."