Chapter 3

Talk

From the way the silence settled in the air, and from the way the two were frozen where they stood, one would think that time had stopped moving. Seconds ticked by, and Renesmee kept looking into Jacob's eyes, unsure of what he would do.

Jacob's onyx eyes were wide open, his mouth forming a small 'o', a look of disbelief; the look on parents and family members when they are told that their child has died.

Jacob shook his head, the first movement in what seemed like years. "What kind of joke is this?" He asked.

"Why would—"

"You think that this is funny?" Jacob's voice raised and octave higher; he was becoming angry.

"You think that it's funny, to tell me, after my sister was raped? Sick joke."

"Do you really think I'm kidding?" She shot back in a bitter tone, tears forming at her eyes. The anger Renesmee had held was finally being released, and rather than repressing it, she welcomed it into open arms.

"This can't…"

"You're the only man I've slept with since college, Jacob." Renesmee said, trying to keep her tone even.

"This is a sick joke, Cullen," He narrowed his eyes at Renesmee.

"This isn't a goddamned joke, Black!" Renesmee shouted.

Jacob was silent for a few moments. "Have you…did you…?"

"I am a doctor, Black." Renesmee spat. "I think I would know if I'm pregnant or not. I took ten of those pregnancy tests; I've had morning sickness, puking God knows how many times in the past week; my breasts are swollen; I'm three weeks late…if that isn't proof enough, I don't know what is."

"Those could all be flukes!"

"Ten positive pregnancy tests?" Renesmee asked bitterly. "It isn't possible for ten different brands to all be fluked."

Jacob sat on the bottom bunk of the bed, and cradled his head in his hands.

"What are you going to do?"

"Look," Renesmee said, unlocking the door, getting ready to leave the room.

"Just…just forget I said anything, okay? I'll…I'll figure something out." Renesmee started walking out of the room, but before she could go far, Jacob grabbed her arm, turning her around to face him.

"I can't just forget this," He said. "We'll figure something out; I'm not going to let you just do this on your own,"

Renesmee shook her head, tears running down her cheeks. "Just…no. Forget it, okay?"

She tore her arm from Jacob's grasp, and he watched as she walked down the hall, trying to collect herself.

He didn't acknowledge the departure. His thoughts were miles away; replaying their conversation, and what would happen now. Renesmee was pregnant; he was the father.

Life as he knew it would change forever.

xXx

"It's going to be fine, right?" Renesmee asked Alex. The two women were sitting in their living room; or, more precisely, Renesmee was lying on the couch with an arm over her face, and Alex was parallel to her on the floor.

When Alex didn't answer, Renesmee raised her arm, and turned her head. "Isn't it?"

"It's going to be fine," Alex assured.

"Oh, who are we kidding?" Renesmee groaned. "This is a disaster!" She placed her hands on her head, and rubbed her eyes with frustration.

"It's been a week since we last talked, and that wasn't the most pleasant experience."

"Well, telling him after his sister came in probably wasn't the best time, Ness."

"Don't you think I know that?" Renesmee groaned. "He's right about the doctor thing. I need to see an OB."

"Well, I bet Montgomery would be willing to do a test," Alex suggested.

"I guess," Renesmee sighed. Her facial features revealed nothing along what she was feeling on the inside. She was scared; she was in denial. And before she could even believe that she was pregnant; that she would be a mother, she needed to be certain.

xXx

"What do you want now, Relic?" Jacob asked, as his rookie partner came into his office. His head was buried in his hands, which were on his desk. He was still upset over the news he had received over a month ago.

"Are…you okay, sir?"

Jacob glanced at his partner through his hands, and sighed. "Come in, and shut the door."

Relic did as he was told, and he sat in the chair across the desk from Jacob.

"She hasn't called, has she?" Relic asked. He had found out about Renesmee's pregnancy through Jacob, when he had come back to the waiting room in disarray.

"She's really pregnant, then." Relic said softly, when Jacob shook his head.

"She said that she would 'deal with it on her own'."

"Well, that's good then," Relic offered. "You're off the hook if she got an abortion."

"What if I didn't want that?" Jacob snarled. "Sure, it was unplanned. We were drunk, for Christ's sake. But she can't just get an abortion. I don't believe in that, and I know we can work this out. That's my kid."

"Isn't it her choice on whether or not she wants to go through with the pregnancy?"

"I don't know." Jacob buried his head back in his hands. After a few minutes of silence, he lifted it up, and walked out of the room, determined.

"But I'm going to make sure she doesn't."

xXx

"Well, everything seems to be perfect," Renesmee smiled, first at the little girl, and then her parents. She changed the dressing on the stitches, pulled her gown down, and her blanket up to cover her legs.

"The incision's healing nicely, there's no sign of infection…with everything going as planned, she should be out of here in a week,"

Her parents sighed in relief. Their four year-old had come in with a fever so high she was sweating, and in immense pain. Her appendix had burst, and needed emergency surgery.

Renesmee filled out the chart, and left the girl's room. She left her chart in the nurse's station, and waited for a new patient chart.

"Renesmee," She turned quickly to find Jacob, in uniform, standing right behind her.

"We need to talk," He said, walking towards her.

"I'm busy." Renesmee grabbed the new chart from the nurse, and read over it.

"I think you can take a few minutes so we can talk about this baby."

Renesmee looked up from the chart, staring hard at Jacob. "I told you. Forget about it. You're off the hook. You don't need to do this." She looked back down at the chart, and started towards the next room, tucking the chart underneath her arm.

"What if I want to?" He followed her, and pressed her against the wall.

"That's my goddamned kid, Cullen. You can't take that away from me." His grip on her softened, and he let go of her. Renesmee watched as he paced down the hall, and stopped back in front her, running a hand through his hair. He took a deep breath.

"Look, Renesmee, I just want you to know that I apologize for everything that comes from this, and for everything that's happened."

He continued, getting slightly closer to Renesmee.

"I want to be a part of this."

Renesmee was shocked. What self-respecting man would want to be apart of an unplanned pregnancy, with a girl he met in a bar?

"You what?" She whispered.

"My mom died when I was five," Jacob started, telling her something that he didn't share with anyone. Renesmee found herself bringing her hand up to her mouth in shock, but she didn't interrupted.

"My father's been out of my life since I was in high school. I vowed that I would never let my kids experience that. I don't want my children to have the life Skyla and I had, because I wasn't there. So, whether you like it or not, we're keeping this kid, and I'm sticking around."

When he finished, his eyes finally locked with Renesmee's, and he found a single tear running down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away before he commented, and looked down at the floor, embarrassed.

She looked back up at him. "Look; I can't talk about this right now; this is a professional place, and if my resident finds me talking about this, when I'm supposed to be on my rounds, she'll have my head. My lunch breaks' in an hour. Meet me in the cafeteria, okay?"

Jacob nodded, and left. Renesmee finished her rounds, and quickly grabbed a salad, some fries, and coffee. Alex found Renesmee in the line.

"Hey," She smiled, joining her friend in the line. "Did you hear about that brain surgery that Sheppard's going perform? She's going to take, like, half of a three-year-old's brain."

"Uh-huh," Renesmee nodded, not really interested. She was preoccupied with the conversation she and Jacob had—and were going to have.

"You okay, Ness?" Alex asked, picking up on her friend's mood. "Is this about the pregnancy?" Alex's eyes widened.

"Please tell me you haven't…?"

"I haven't," Renesmee assured. "And I won't. He's in on this kid."

"I told you, things would all work out." Alex smiled.

"Yeah…well, Jacob's taking his lunch break to meet with me, so I'll see you later?"

Alex nodded. "The brain surgery's after lunch, if you want to go to the gallery with me to watch."

Renesmee nodded, and Alex went to their usual table. Renesmee searched the room for Jacob, and found him at a table in the middle of the room. She quickly made it to the table, and she sat across from him.

"Do you ever wear something besides scrubs?" Jacob smiled.

"Don't you ever wear something besides your uniform?" Renesmee replied, cocking her head to the side.

"Ah, touché," Jacob laughed.

"Did you really mean it…what you said?" Renesmee toyed with her salad, and looked up at Jacob.

"Every word," Jacob admitted. "I can't stand on the sidelines; I can't be out of the picture. This is my kid. Even if this isn't what we imagined, this kid is going to need the both of us."

Renesmee nodded. "I agree."

"For the baby?" Jacob placed his hand in the middle of the table.

After a few second's hesitation, Renesmee placed her hands on top of his.

"For the baby."