Month number 3! Okay, so April is next. After that, though, I'm going to skip May and June. Just a bunch of repetitiveness that nobody needs. This chapter has a little bit of sadness but also cuteness.

*Disclaimer*

Please Enjoy!

March

TriciaPOV

Embry swam through the blankets and sheets to wrap his arms around me and pull me in against his body. He kissed my temple.

"So what are you doing today?"

A couple weeks ago, Jacob had come up with a steady work schedule for the boys that worked at the shop. He rotated them out so each of them had a couple days off, or half days. Today, Embry had an all day, nine to five shift. So I'd made plans.

Cuddling into his chest, I said, "I made plans with a bunch of the girls. We're going to Seattle to shop wedding and baby."

"How is Ness? I haven't seen her in a while."

"She's good. Craving a lot of blood, though. She said that Carlisle believes it's because she can't get protein into her system any other way. Eating meat is a no-no for baby."

His hands stroked over my skin. "Do they know what it is yet?"

I shook my head. "Not yet. Ness said this month they get to find out. She and Jacob thinks it's a boy. Intuition and all that."

He nodded. "I can see it. That kid is gonna be something special with parents like that."

"Totally. Apparently, Jacob is still having issues coping with the fact that she's pregnant. Even with the baby bump."

His eyebrows went up. "She's showing?"

"If she wears the right stuff." I pulled back a little. "You really haven't seen her in a while, have you?"

He shook his head. "Nope. At first Jacob kept her cooped up in their house. I know she's been hanging out with Emily and Shelby a lot though. Clearly, she got tired of being in the house."

Stretching against him as the alarm went off again, I said, "Yeah, Jake is pretty anxious about the trip since he has to be at the shop. He already calls her every hour. It's gonna be every five minutes now. But Adam and Derek are going with us. Plus Christa, Morgan, Alice, Emma, Bianca, and Angelica. I'm pretty sure Ness, Emily, Cricket, and I are going to be safe."

He laughed. "Wow. They're all going with you?"

"Mhm. Haleigh and Claire, too. Which means Quil."

"How many vehicles is that? Four?"

"Something like that."

"Geez. Well, have fun. Be careful. And take my card."

I frowned. "What?"

Reaching over to the bedside table, he picked up his wallet. "My money is your money. If you find something you want, get it. We need to get you a card, too. We can do that tomorrow. I'm off."

"Embry-"

"Hush." He put the card in my hand. "Take it."

Wrapping my hand around it, I said, "What if they ID me?"

"Oh, I forgot. Alice took care of that." He went into his wallet again and pulled out an ID card with my face on it.

I took it and found that it had my first name on it but Embry's last name. My eyes widened. "Is this even real?"

He laughed. "Yup. She and Jasper have connections. It'll work for now until we get married and you can change it yourself if you want."

"Holy crap. That's so...illegal."

"You don't have to use it. I have cash."

Stroking my finger over Embry's last name attached to my first, I shook my head. "No, I'll take it."

"You like that, don't you? Our names together."

Smiling, I nodded. "Yeah, I do. I can't wait to be Mrs. Call."

His fingers stroked my cheek. "I can't either."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Rolling with all of this. Letting me move in. A woman taking over guy space."

He pulled back to look down at me. "Are you kidding? Tricia, I've been waiting since I was sixteen and first phased to imprint, to have this. And now I do. Members of our pack aren't complete without our imprints."

I grinned. "So you're saying that all the guys are suffering inside, being hopelessly romantic, until that special woman comes around?"

Laughing, he said, "Suffering in silence would be a better description if we didn't have the wolf telepathy, but yes. That about sums it up."

Leaning into him, I kissed his lips. "Well, I'm glad I could end your suffering."

"Mmm," he murmured against my lips. "Me, too."

The alarm clock squawked again, forcing us apart. Groaning, he rolled out of bed and padded to the bathroom in all his naked glory. There were welts on his skin that had been scratches last night. It was a good thing he healed fast. Managed to keep up with our sex life. While the shower started up, I stretched in bed. Parts of my body were sore where he'd gripped me. No doubt there were bruises, but I loved them. I needed a shower, too, but there was no way we could shower together without us adding more steam. Embry had to go to work. And I was supposed to meet up at the Cullen house at around eleven.

Getting out of bed, I slipped into my robe and went to make some coffee. Embry was a coffee guy. Who knew? There wasn't enough time for me to make breakfast for him, but I did manage to pack him a lunch like a good housewife. Although, I did want to find a job. Being at home all the time didn't seem like fun. Or maybe start online college courses.

The shower cut off. I popped a couple jumbo muffins that I'd made yesterday into the microwave. Lemon poppy-seed was his favorite, so I'd found a recipe instead of the insta-muffin mix. I'd made blueberry vanilla muffins for me.

He came into the kitchen, scrubbing his black hair with a towel. He was dressed in a greased up flannel shirt and some greased up jeans. The bottom half of the dresser was dedicated to his work clothes.

"Smells good. I'm starving." He kissed my cheek before going for the coffee pot. "You gave me a workout last night. Who the hell needs a gym?"

Laughing, I took the muffins out of the microwave, tossed them on a plate, and set them in front of him at the table. "All I am is cardio. You'll need the gym if you wanna keep up your muscle."

Thinking about it, he lifted his shoulder. "I could always do push ups on top of you. That's a great incentive."

"Mmm, sounds interesting."

Reaching for my hips, he pulled me down across his lap. "It does, doesn't it?"

We both got quiet after that. His fingers played over my hip while he used the other to eat breakfast. I played my fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck, lost in thought. Lost in how happy I was.

"Do you want kids?" he asked suddenly.

Jerking in his arms, I turned to look at him. "What?"

"Kids. Do you want them?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I do. I couldn't imagine living with you the rest of my life and not having little ones run around, watching you try to discipline them."

He laughed. "Just checking."

"You want kids?"

"Absolutely." Taking my left hand, he rubbed his thumb over my ring.

"What's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"Liar," I said quietly.

He didn't talk for a long moment. "It's scary."

"What is?" Geez, it was like pulling teeth, but this seemed important to him.

"Death."

My breath froze in my chest, and I studied his face to make sure he was serious. He was.

He took a deep breath. "The members of the pack have gotten used to not aging. I haven't changed since I first phased. But with you being human and aging, eventually, I'll stop phasing to age with you. And I will die. That's what Sam is doing with Emily. It's just not something that we talk about, losing each other."

I didn't know what to say to that simply because I couldn't change the circumstances. So I chose humor. "You just magically looked twenty-something when you were sixteen?"

He chuckled a little but it was half-hearted. "Yeah. We had major growth spurts. Something to do with our genes."

My heart bled for him. I didn't know what it was like to have a taste of immortality or something close to it. "I'm sorry, Embry."

Clearing his throat, he shook his head as if he were shaking himself out of a mood. He smiled up at me. "Don't be. I was just thinking out loud. I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, I'm glad you did. I want to know these things."

"I mean, I know that we have years ahead of us. It's just something to think about again. Something that I have to prepare our future kids for. Sometimes I envy Jacob and Ness. They're going to be around a very long time."

Bringing my hands up, I stroked his face. "It is scary. Death is always scary. But it's also a part of life. It's why I choose to live my life the way I want to. And this, being with you, is damn near perfect. Making love with you every day and night, making plans with you. Sure, we may never travel, and we may live here all our lives, but that's perfect for me. I just want to be happy in whatever I do. And you make me happy. I'll die with a smile on my face because I know I lived my life with you. Our kids, should we have them, will probably phase. And they'll imprint and have to make the same decision. But at least we'll be together. Always."

Swallowing hard, he pushed his face into my hair to rest against my neck. "I'm just scared to lose you. I don't want you to die. It's not me I'm worried about. I'd gladly lay down my life for you. I just don't like the thought of the world without you."

"Oh, Embry." I wrapped my arms around him and rocked back and forth. "I'm not saying that I want to die or for you to. I don't like the thought of the world without you, either. If there was a way...I don't know."

We just sat like that, holding each other. I hated to see him like this. He wasn't scared to die; he was scared of losing me. It was touching but also heart-wrenching.

Eventually, he pulled away, breathing hard and clearing his throat. His eyes were red-rimmed but no tears had fallen. Or if they had, they were in my hair.

"I'm going to be late."

"Right, work." Hopping off his lap, I grabbed the lunch bag from the fridge. And then filled a thermos with some coffee, added a bit of cream and sugar, and handed it all to him.

"Thanks." He bent down to kiss me. "Love you."

"Love you, too. Have a good day."

He grinned. "In the grease? Absolutely."

Shaking my head, I shooed him out. Once he was gone, I hopped in the shower. And of course, the shower was the place I thought about everything. Everybody was scared of death, but especially those that had seen it. Embry had with Seth, had probably telepathically witnessed Seth's thoughts as he went under if they were in wolf form. That made it more real. Seth had gotten a second chance with Shelby, from her infected blood. But that was a once in a lifetime type of chance. And the Cullens? They were immortal as well, watching those they loved age and die. Bella staying frozen while her dad aged. How did Sue deal with that, knowing that her kids would live long after she was gone? How hard was it for the pack to watch Sam age, knowing he'd leave his daughter behind to be taken care of by the pack, by her godparents? How did Sam feel? Did he want to stay with his daughter, but not want to live without Emily?

Growing irritated with myself, I forced myself to think of something else while I scrubbed the conditioner out of my hair. When I was done, I dried off and got dressed, slipping Embry's card into my back pocket. Just in time, too. A horn beeped outside.

Frowning, I opened the door to see Nessie standing on the front porch, arm raised to knock on the door.

She smiled. "Hey. We thought we'd pick you up instead of making you walk all the way up to my place."

She was so kind. "Thank you."

"We'll be walking all day anyway. I need to stretch my legs. Jake's been keeping me locked away."

Tearing up for no reason, I reached forward to pull her into a hug.

"Oh," she gasped as she hugged me back.

I cleared my throat. "Understandable." Pulling back I looked her up and down. "But look at you! You're glowing. And the bump! How far along again?"

Laughing, she rubbed the bump under the long sleeve tee. "Three months."

"You look amazing."

"Thank you. You've got a glow, too, you know."

Flushing, I pulled at my hair. "Really?"

She nodded. "Definitely. Embry's been good to you?"

"Fabulous actually."

Leaning toward me as if she were dishing a secret, she said, "All imprinted males are like that. Females have to be treated like glass."

Laughing, I grabbed my coat and stepped out onto the porch. A whole caravan was parked in the circular drive. "I had a talk with Embry after you and I talked about the sex thing. Things are much better now."

After I locked the door, she threaded her arm through mine. "That's good. Even after I talked to Jake, he had issues. The man just can't understand that he's the alpha. Rough is going to happen. And now that I'm pregnant? Oh, break out the bubble wrap."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Well, I can understand that, too. You were pregnant during the fight."

"True. Which should tell him that both me and the baby are pretty damn durable."

We hopped into the SUV laughing. Derek was driving. Of course.

"You ladies ready?"

We all nodded. Christa was sitting between me and Morgan. She gripped my hand, the one with my engagement ring, and squeezed. I returned the sentiment. She and my brother would outlive me and Embry, too. Tears threatened again, but I held them back by force of will.

"Alright, I guess we're ready." And he pulled out of the drive, four other vehicles following.

RPOV

Something was bothering Tricia. But I didn't want to pry.

It was a few hours' drive to Seattle. We'd been on the road for one of them, and I was craving blood. Not wanting to freak anybody out, I tried to control it by taking deep breaths, trying to distract myself with the conversation. But Morgan saw it from her seat behind Derek.

"Ness? You okay, hon?"

I smiled, but it was strained. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay."

Derek shot me a look.

I shook my head.

But he didn't care. "She's craving blood."

"What?" Tricia asked.

Morgan snapped her fingers like she understood. "I'll get it." Taking off her seat belt, she hung over the back of the seat and dug through something.

Christa explained to Tricia. "Nessie is half vampire, right? Well, she can't stand meat, which is her main form of protein in her human diet. So she craves blood more and more as the baby grows and takes most of the nutrition."

"Oh," was Tricia's response. "That makes sense."

A hand appeared beside me holding a styrofoam cup complete with lid and straw. "Here ya go, Ness. All you had to do was ask."

"But I didn't," I said, taking it from her. "Where did...is there a cooler back there?"

Morgan leaned on Derek's seat, chin on her hands, and nodded. "Jacob called Alice."

"Of course he did." Sucking on the straw, the blood was thick like a milkshake, and took a bit to get it up. But once I did, my craving ebbed. I sat back in relief, and smiled. Jacob was thinking of me, of us.

Speaking of, my phone started ringing in my pocket. I knew who it was before I looked at the screen.

Grinning, I answered it. "Hey, you."

"Hey."

"Checking up?"

"Of course. How are you and the little one?"

I couldn't help but be ecstatic when he talked like that. "We're good. Had to give in to my craving, but it took an hour on the road before it showed up. By the way, thanks for thinking ahead and talking to Aunt Alice."

He chuckled. "I told you, that's my job. I'm supposed to think of the welfare of my wife and baby. I'm the dad, remember?"

A sound over the phone had me asking, "You just shuddered, didn't you?"

His tone suggested that I was right. "How'd you guess?"

"Because you do every time you call yourself 'dad', 'daddy', or 'father'. Or whenever someone else does. Why is that, by the way?"

Sounded like he shrugged, and something in the background squeaked. "I don't know. It's just weird to think about. Maybe it'll wear off after he's born."

Laughing, I said, "We don't know if it's a boy yet."

"Eh, gut instinct. You're carrying a boy. Period."

"Uh-huh," I mumbled, taking another sip through the straw. "You're just following my dream."

"Hey, those dreams were pretty accurate. I'll bet that the next kid is a girl."

"Oh, so you want another one? This pregnancy isn't stressing you out enough?"

Silence, then, "I'll let you know once this one gets here."

I laughed around the straw. "I can't wait to see how you handle the labor."

Another shudder sound. "Yeah, about that. Anyway, when do you want the next ultrasound where I can tell you 'I told you so' about it being a boy?"

Rolling my eyes, I took another sip before saying, "Well, I don't have any plans for tomorrow. Are you off or have a half day?"

"Off. I'll call Carlisle if you want."

"Sure. That would be great."

"Ok, I'll do that. I gotta get back in the garage. Be careful."

"I will."

"Talk to you later. I love you. Both of you."

Grinning again, I said, "We love you, too."

All the girls in the car, in unison, sang, "Awwww. We loooooooove you, Jacob!"

I shooed a hand at them.

"What was that?" he asked laughing as if he had indeed heard it.

"The girls telling you they love you, too. Now hang up. You gotta get back to work."

"Right. Love you."

"You already said that."

"I know. Gotta say it again."

With a chuckle, I said, "Love you, too. Now, go."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Finally, the phone clicked as he hung up first.

Someone in the back made a disgusted sound. "You two are disgustingly cute."

Morgan.

Turning around in my seat, I grinned at her. "Why don't you and Shelby hang out more?"

She frowned. "I don't know. Why?"

Derek laughed, looking at her in the rear view mirror. "Because you two are a lot alike, that's why."

Huffing, she crossed her arms over her chest. "I can't help how I feel," she said, nose in the air. Christa gave her a look and bopped her nose. Morgan pouted at her.

"Where's Haleigh?" Tricia asked with a laugh.

Christa said, "She wanted to ride with Claire, and Claire goes nowhere without Quil. They're in one of the bigger vehicles. Needed some me time. And Walker was working with Embry and Jake at the shop today."

"I didn't know he was into cars," I said.

Tricia nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, yeah. Every girl in high school was after him to fix their pieces of crap cars. It was so obnoxious."

Christa laughed, wiggling her left hand with the ring on it. "Joke's on them. I'm the one who married him."

Tricia nodded again. "Thank god for that. If he'd been a different kind of guy, he'd have a lot of baby mommas right now."

We all went into fits of laughter and talking about our guys. Even Derek joined in. This. This right here was what I'd been needing. A day away from the house to visit with the girls, to shop, to just get some fresh air. My only worry was my craving for the blood while we were out, but no doubt someone had come up with something. Hence the styrofoam cup. But other than that I was determined to have a good time. Jacob and I had been online searching for baby stuff, like cribs and swings and strollers. Today, I was going to see a lot of those in person and take pictures to show him. Of course, I wasn't sure we'd need a stroller. This baby was probably going to be like I had been, like Leila and Brayden were...always in someone's arms. A stroller may not be necessary, but carseats, cribs, and carriers were. As well as bottles and clothes. Even though we didn't know what the baby was yet, there were neutral colors to go ahead and buy. I only planned on registering, not actually buying anything, but with my Aunt Alice around that probably wouldn't be the case. The same went for Christa and Tricia with wedding stuff. Good thing we had, like, five vehicles.

"Ness? You okay up there? You got quiet," Morgan said, leaning on the seat again. Apparently, she was taking it upon herself to be my watch-wolf today. Or maybe Jacob had asked her, because she, like he, wouldn't believe the "I'm fine" mantra on the spot. She'd push for me to tell her if something was wrong.

I smiled at her, realizing my hand was doing circuits over my growing tummy. "Yeah, I'm fine," I said automatically.

Pursing her lips, she quirked an eyebrow.

Laughing, I held up my cup. "I'm fine, really. I still have half a cup. I was just thinking about all we still have left to do before the baby comes. And how happy I am to have the day with all of you. I've missed girl time."

Leaning forward, Christa rubbed my shoulder. "We're glad to spend some time with you, too. If we have to, we can kidnap you from time to time out from under Jacob's nose."

I laughed. "That would be awesome. I think I could handle that."

"Not sure he could," Derek muttered.

"Oh, he'll survive. He's just nervous about being a dad. Thinks the kid is gonna end up hating him or something."

They all laughed as if that were an absurd thought.

"Seriously?" Christa giggled. "He's, like, the cutest thing ever when it comes to kids. Seriously, a guy that dominant who is great with kids would make any woman hot. You got freaking lucky. I mean, don't get me wrong, Walker is cute with Haleigh, and he's an alpha, but Jacob? Be hated? That's insane."

"Amen to that," Tricia said.

"That's what I told him," I said, sipping through the straw. This was making me crave more fruit. "I told him that parents who are scared they'll screw up are the best. Those that think they're perfect end up earning their kid's hatred."

"That's true," Christa said. "My parents thought they were Mr. and Mrs. Perfect, like they couldn't do anything wrong, and yet they locked me up. Fidiots."

Morgan patted her leg. "Well, you're free now and one badass wolf with a badass mate. I think you've more than made up for those years."

"And an adorable little girl," Tricia pointed out.

I nodded in agreement. "She'd still be shy and an introvert if it weren't for you and Walker. She wouldn't be the bright little girl that she's turned into under your care. And she wouldn't have found a friend in Claire."

She grinned at me. "You and Jacob are gonna be awesome parents. I can't wait to see you two with that baby."

"Me, either," Tricia said.

Morgan just nodded.

I smiled, but still worried about Jacob. Derek must have seen it on my face because he said, "Don't worry, Ness. Everything will turn out fine. It's normal for first time parents to be scared that they weren't cut out for parenthood. Just wait until after the baby's born. That baby is going to be just as loved as Leila and Brayden. And like I said a month ago, eventually that baby will grow up to be alpha of this pack if Jacob ever steps down."

Morgan snorted. "Even if Jacob doesn't step down, that kid will be looked up to the way his dad is, because make no mistake, with Jacob raising him he'll be good enough to follow."

I turned back in my seat with a grin at her. "So you think it's a boy, too, huh?"

She shrugged. "Just a figure of speech, but if the shoe fits..."

"When's the ultrasound to find out?" Tricia asked. "I wanna know so I can blow up your phone and demand you tell me."

Chuckling, I said, "Tomorrow. Not sure when, though. Knowing Jake, as soon as possible."

"Do you think it's a boy?" Christa asked.

I shrugged. "A while back, I had this dream of my and Jacob's kids. There were three. The eldest was a boy. The middle was a girl. And I was pregnant with the third, but I have a feeling that one would be a boy. I don't know why, but those dreams felt scarily real."

"Well, that settles it," Morgan said.

"It does?" Tricia.

"Mhm. Boy, girl, maybe a boy. Nessie's dreams were always prophetic in some way before, so I'm going to trust her subconscious. Wouldn't bet against it."

Derek nodded. "I agree."

"See? It's settled."

I agreed with their conviction, as did Jacob. We both felt that the baby growing inside me was a boy. William. Jacob and I had agreed on the name before I'd gotten pregnant, and we were sticking with it. William Edward. Although, if we had more kids, I wasn't planning on naming them after family. Maybe the girl. In my dream, Jacob had called her Jules. Short for Julia? I shook my head. No. Juliette? Absolutely not. Julianna? Ooo, I liked that. But her middle name? Jacob's mother's name had been Sarah. Hmmm, I'd have to think about that. Meshing my mother's name with Jacob's mother's seemed a good way to go, the way Mom had done for me. I liked the idea, but I'd have to play with the names.

Suddenly my stomach rumbled.

"Oh good grief. Will I ever stop eating?"

Chuckling, Morgan leaned over the back of her seat. "What do you want? I have blackberries, strawberries, kiwis, aaaaaand peaches."

Of course, Jacob had thought of everything.

"Blackberries, please."

She handed me the container and I dug in. Again, so good!

They all laughed and lapsed back into conversation. I just sat back and listened.

JPOV

Now I understood what an anxiety attack felt like. Like I was going crazy, that's what it felt like.

Yet again, I paused underneath the hood of the same car I'd been working on for two hours. It was a simple fix type of problem, but the thought of Nessie out of Forks and away from me kept making me shake.

A heavy hand landed on my shoulder. Embry.

"Dude, she's fine. They all are. And if someone did manage to get through the wolves and Alice, they'd have a hell of a time getting through Tricia and Cricket. And Claire. That kid has some serious attitude."

Bracing my arms on the frame of the car, I hung my head. "I know. I just...they should be there by now. She should have called me."

"Maybe she's waiting on you to call her. That's what you've been doing. The last time you checked in was two hours ago. And you said you'd call Carlisle for something."

I gave him a look. "You've been eavesdropping, haven't you?"

He grinned shamelessly. "Of course I have. You're still one of my best friends. Gotta look after you just like the girls are looking after Ness. You need support, too, you know."

"Don't be such a woman."

Laughing, he punched my shoulder. "I'm serious, man. The boys and I got your back. You need anything, let us know."

"Shouldn't you be planning a wedding? And thanks for telling me, by the way." This was the first shift we'd had together since I found out he'd proposed, not that I couldn't have called him myself. I'd just been busy with Ness.

Smiling, he shrugged. "Figured you'd find out eventually. Tricia and Ness talk all the time. Don't be surprised if Tricia knows about your sex life. Pretty sure Ness knows about mine."

Squeezing my eyes shut, I pinched the bridge of my nose. "That's awesome. I didn't need to know that. But for the record, I don't have one right now."

Though I had noticed the pink welts on his skin when he'd shed the flannel shirt in favor of his tank. They were everywhere. Clearly, Tricia wasn't unsatisfied in bed. Walker and I had exchanged a look behind his back. He'd just shaken his head and looked like he was going to try to forget he'd seen them. If they were still pink hours later, that meant she'd bled him. I would know. Nessie's nails had gotten me a few times.

"And I didn't need to know that. But, I think you can still...you know, even though-"

I gave him a look.

He raised his eyebrows and hands. "Nevermind. Anyway, my point is, Nessie is fine. Carlisle says she's perfectly healthy, right? The baby, too?"

I nodded.

"That's good, then. They're fine."

"I guess." Straightening up, I wiped my hands on a rag. "Hey, I may actually need some help."

"Okay, with what?" he asked rolling back under the car he was working on.

"You know anything about home remodeling?"

Rolling back out, he gave me a look. "What kind?"

I shrugged. "Nothing huge. I just remember that Seth and Shelby are using one side of their closet as a nursery for Brayden, but they have an extra door to the closet from the bedroom. Our extra doorway is in the closet."

"So you want a door to the other half of your closet that opens into the bedroom? And a door in the doorway you do have?"

I nodded. "Thought it would be nice, so that we wouldn't wake the baby if we had to get into the closet. And I think we're going to be like Seth and Shelby, not wanting the baby too far from us at first all the way on the the third floor of the house. I can get the doors easy enough. I just don't know much about tearing down part of a wall. Or if it can even be done."

On the roller, Embry shrugged. "Sure. I know a fair bit. I'll take a look if you want."

"Cool."

"I could come over after we get off work. I'm sure they're going to be gone a while. It'll give you something to do."

"Sure. Sounds great." Pushing the rag into my back pocket, I said, "Hey, I'm just gonna go call Carlisle and check in on Ness."

I heard his chuckle from under the car. "Surprise, surprise."

As I passed him, I kicked his boot.

His chuckle followed me into the main building.

RPOV

Utterly exhausted but completely content, I pushed open the door to the cabin to be greeted by a loud pounding sound and then a saw. Derek, Adam, and I all shared a look as we dropped all the bags. I hadn't intended on getting anything today, but Aunt Alice had glared at me until I'd given in.

Heading for the bedroom, Derek and Adam followed me down the stairs. Tools were strewn across my bedroom floor. At least nothing was on my bed. But that left my head as I looked at the wall beside the fireplace. There was a door-sized hole in it.

The pounding started up again and I covered my ears.

When it stopped, I yelled, "What the hell is going on in here?!"

Embry peeked around the opening and Jacob came out of the closet, holding a bunch of clothes.

Coming over to me, he threw the clothes on the bed. "Hey, baby. Did you have fun?"

"Uh, yeah. What's going on?"

He looked behind him. "Oh, we're putting in a couple doors."

"Uh, you're...what?"

Chuckling, he wrapped his arms around me. "We have a double closet, but only one doorway to lead to the other side. I thought it would be a good idea to copy Seth and Shelby, and use the other side as a nursery for when we first bring the baby home. But we need doors so as not to bother him if we have to get into the closet while he's asleep."

Looking around his shoulder, I looked at the hole. "Oh."

"You...don't agree," he said, losing his enthusiasm.

Stroking my hands up his chest, I said quickly, "No, no. I-I love it. It's a great idea. But...do you guys know what you're doing?"

Embry came around the hole, laughing. "Yes, Ness. I know what I'm doing even though I'm not a contractor or anything. High school was grand. We'll get it fixed up asap. I did most of the hard work tonight. Really, I just have to smooth the edges and fit the doors in. And then you guys can start the decorating or whatever."

Pulling away from Jacob, I went to hug him. "Thank you for doing this."

He wrapped his arms around me in a brotherly type hug. "Not a problem. Anything for you and Jake. You know that. And you look great, by the way. I know I haven't been around in a while. Really. Pregnancy looks good on you."

"Thank you, Embry. And, I've already told Tricia this, but if you need any help with the wedding and a break from my aunt, just give me a call. I'm really not doing anything while Jake is at work."

He grinned down at me. "Thanks. It's appreciated. Is she at home?"

I nodded. "We dropped them off first since I had the most baggage."

"You bought stuff?" Jacob asked.

I rolled my eyes. "Are you crazy? I wouldn't have come home with anything but my aunt is pushy. As are the rest of the girls. They kept supporting her. But nothing big," I said pulling away from Embry to go back to Jacob's arms. "No cribs or anything. But I did take pictures on my phone. We'll probably get the big stuff at the baby shower."

"Shower?"

Embry had gone to clean up. After he was done, he went to stand with Derek and Adam.

"Uh, Jake, we're gonna head out."

He nodded. "Good deal. Thanks again. All three of you."

They all nodded, said goodnight, and left.

Moving into his body, I just rested against him, ear pressed to his chest. I was exhausted after the long day of walking. He held me and rocked me, hands rubbing my back soothingly.

"Yes, shower. I know you know what that is. I'll probably get the guys to take you out or something since it'll be girls. Aunt Alice knows which cribs and such I liked. She'll know what we decide on because she'll see herself buying it."

He growled a little. "I really wish they'd stop spending their money on-"

"Hush," I said, shaking my head. "If they're willing to, let them. Really. I've seen the account numbers. Dropping a thousand dollars on a crib is like fifty cents for a piece of candy. It's nothing, Jacob. They have enough to support the entire pack, their kids, and grandkids. Especially with the stocks. What else would they spend all that money on if not to help the family?" Stroking his chest again, I continued. "Jacob, I know that you want to support me, and the baby. And I'm proud of you for what you're doing at the shop. I've heard nothing but good reviews. But these things, they're gifts from family who can afford it. Please don't tarnish that. They want to spoil us. You're providing the money we need for groceries and other various things for the baby. They're gifting us with the bigger things. Besides, since when have the Cullens ever done anything without sparing expense?"

That made him smile a little. "That is true."

"I have an idea."

Stroking my hair back, he asked, "And what is that?"

"The money you make at the shop, we'll save it up. Open up a joint account or something. And after we have all our kids, however many we have, we'll take them on vacation. Anywhere...except Italy. Maybe Disneyland. Or down to Tennessee to the aquarium. Or go on a cruise. Just us and the kids. Get them out of Forks to see something other than clouds and rain. Oh, also, as each child is born, we open a saving's account for them. I'm sure Mom and Dad would be willing to help fund that. We can tell them to start putting money there instead of throwing it at us. Not too much, but just a little each year or so. We can't stop my aunts and uncles, but it's something at least."

Cupping my face, he leaned down to press his lips to mine. "You are a genius. That sounds like a great idea."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I love it." One of his hands came around to caress my stomach gently. "So what did you get today?"

Excitement suddenly reviving me, I grabbed his hand and dragged him upstairs. He laughed as I shoved him onto the couch and brought all the bags around.

And then his eyes widened. "How many bags are there?"

Clearing my throat, I dug into one of them. "A few. Aha!"

The one thing I was most excited about was the pacifier that I'd been searching for. I'd seen it so much online, and I'd wanted it. When I'd found it, that was the one thing I had to have, just because of how amusing it would be to see Jacob's face.

It was worth it.

When I held it out to him, he just stared at it. And then, shaking his head, he laughed. "Really?"

It was in the shape of vampire teeth, sharp canines and all.

"I just couldn't help it. I had to have it."

"You are unbelievable," he said taking it from me. "He is part werewolf, you know."

I gave him a look. "Hello, I know that." I went back to digging in the bag. "That's why I got these."

There had been three onesies that I'd also had to have because they'd made me think of Jacob. One of them was black with "Raised by Wolves" written in red lettering. The second was white and said, "Daddy's Little Cub". And the third said "I Run with the Pack".

Taking them from me, he handled them with care, gaze softening. "Wow. I can't believe you found these. They're great."

"I also got a pacifier with a paw print on it." When he looked at me, I shrugged and sat down beside him. "Everything is neutral just in case we're wrong about it being a boy. And I have a feeling that Aunt Alice is having some custom made for us since this is the child of the alpha male."

Reaching out, he wrapped an arm around my neck and pulled me against him, his lips in my hair. "Thank you," he whispered. "This is really great. I love it. Now show me the pictures. I wanna see what you found."

Pulling back, I grinned as I dug my phone out of my pocket. "You're getting into this now, huh?"

He shrugged, laying the tiny clothes out on his huge thigh. "Buying stuff and making room for the baby is helping it all sink in. We're already three months pregnant, and you're showing through your shirts. I only have six months left to get things ready until he's here."

Opening up my phone and going through the pictures, I said, "Well, don't overdo it, okay? Don't stress if everything doesn't get done. I think we should just worry about the nursery for one. I bought bottles and stuff to start out. And we'll probably get even more at the shower, okay? We'll be fine."

Sitting up more, he kissed my hair. "I'll see what I can do. Now, whatchya got?"

We spent most of that night going through pictures and deleting all that we decided against. Carriers, carseats, cribs, bedding, every big thing that I'd found. We'd narrowed everything down to two or three choices. Except for the crib. We'd found the one we wanted. One of the rooms upstairs already had a crib for visiting babies. But our baby's crib was going downstairs in the nursery Jacob was making in the other half of our closet.

It was late before we managed to make it down to bed. Jacob tossed all the clothes into the closet. Embry had cleaned up the tools before he'd left. In my underwear, I crawled into bed feeling the weight of my stomach. So weird. Resting in the crook of Jacob's arm, his other hand came around to rest over the swell of my stomach.

"It's so crazy."

"What is?" I asked, stroking his arm.

"This. That a baby is growing inside of you. That you're going to get bigger, that he is. I never realized how...awesome a woman's body is."

I choked out a laugh.

He gave me a look.

"Not like that. Well, yeah, like that. But that's not what I meant this time."

"I know," I assured him, still smiling.

"All this that you go through to grow this life is amazing. All the changes. And that you're not broken."

I looked at him questioningly. "What are you saying?"

"Probably that women are much tougher than men. We'd probably be having meltdowns and freaking out. But you women just take it in stride and deal with the effects of the pregnancy as they come at you. You guys are fighters."

Rubbing my hand over his where it rested on my lower tummy, I smiled up at him. "Of course we are. We're protecting the piece inside of us that connects us to the men we love. Our bodies are more yielding, softer, than a man's. A man's body is made to protect his woman, his family. Our bodies provide the nutrition and warmth that a small life needs to grow stronger in order to survive outside the womb. I will do anything for this baby. I guess that's what a mother is."

"That's definitely what a mother is." He kissed my forehead. "And you're a great one already."

"And you're a great father already." He swallowed hard, holding back the shiver. "Calling to check on both of us. Telling me you already love this baby. The way you react to the ultrasounds, the heartbeat, the tiny clothes. You love it."

"I do. I love both of you."

We shared a gentle kiss.

"I told Carlisle we'd be down there in the morning after breakfast. He told me to tell you to eat light."

"Don't I always?"

He laughed. "Yeah, I guess you do." He kept chuckling as if he'd thought of something.

Smiling, I asked, "What?"

"Something Embry said to me today."

Quirking an eyebrow, I waited for him to go on.

He rolled his eyes. "We were talking about you and Tricia gossiping about each other's sex lives or something to that effect. I knew he and Tricia had rolled between the sheets because of the nail marks on his skin. Men gossip, too, and I told him how you and I didn't...weren't, you know. And he told me that we could still have sex even though you're pregnant. I just looked at him. I mean, I think my sex drive has gone into hibernation for a while."

I laughed. "Yeah, I've heard that a woman's libido can get out of control when she's pregnant, but I just can't imagine having sex right now. Especially now that I'm showing. That's just..."

"Awkward," he finished for me. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Besides, I know how rough we can get, even when we try to go slow."

"Exactly. Even though I love you and the want is still there, I'm perfectly content."

"Me, too."

When he yawned, I drew a finger down his nose. "Time for sleep. I'm exhausted and it looks like you are, too."

Gripping me tighter to him, he nodded. "Definitely."

He cuddled down so that his face was buried in my hair. A heartbeat later, he was out like a light, snoring softly. It was great that he was aware of me even in sleep. If I were to get out of bed, the snoring would get louder. If I came back to bed, it would soften. Jacob was the best man in the world. Well, for me, anyway. A lot of women felt the same about their men.

Jacob was my other half, and therefore, the best man in the world for me.

JPOV

Walking down to the Cullen house, I found myself nervous again. And not in a good way. I kept expecting Carlisle to say that something was wrong. But also, I really wanted this baby to be a boy. I wanted Billy to know that he had a grandson from me before he passed on to be with my mother.

Nessie was practically skipping beside me, swinging our clasped hands, and humming while she sipped blood from the cup in her other hand.

As usual, when we walked into the house, it was quiet except for the video games that Emmett was playing. Bella greeted us and Edward started up the piano. I could see Alice on the internet searching for baby clothes.

As we went up the stairs, Bella called up to us, "Remember, I wanna know! And an ultrasound photo!"

Rolling my eyes, I followed Ness down the hall. "Yes, Bells. We know."

Carlisle was waiting for us when we came in. He did his preliminary exam after Ness hopped up on the bed. Other than baby stuff, she'd also bought a bunch of maternity clothes, saying that she didn't want to wear my sweats and hoodies all the time, even though she'd wear them around the house.

"Everything is normal," he said before I could ask. "Alright, sweetie, you know the drill."

After rolling her shirt up, Ness laid back against the elevated bed. Before he started the ultrasound, he pulled out a different kind of stethoscope and pressed it to her stomach.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

He moved the little circle around, just listening at first. And then he smiled. "Listening to the heartbeat. The band I used last time had a fetal doppler inside it. I've found that the doppler helps to hear the heartbeat sooner because it echoes. After about two months, the stethoscope can be used. And everything still sounds good in there as well. Now," he said, pulling over the ultrasound machine. "Let's see if we can get a good read on the sex, shall we?"

Nessie grinned excitedly, gripping my hand.

Carlisle did his thing with the goo, spreading it around, and then looked at the screen. I did, too. The baby actually looked like a baby now.

"Oh, wow," Nessie whispered. "Only a month's difference and he's that big."

Carlisle nodded. "It's amazing how fast babies can develop, even in a human way. And...it looks like the two of you are right."

She and I shared a look.

"About?" I asked.

He turned to us, grinning. "It's a boy."

"Really?"

He nodded and pointed to the screen. "You see that? It's pretty clear to me that it's a boy."

Leaning forward, I studied the area he was circling with his finger. Sure enough, I saw what he saw. My knees went weak.

Squeezing Nessie's hand, I grinned. "I told you so."

She squeezed back. "I believe we were both right."

"Whatever." Excited, I looked down at her. "It's a boy," I whispered, and kissed her forehead.

Now it was real. I was having a son. A baby boy.

While Carlisle printed out tons of pictures, I wiped the tears from Nessie's cheeks. We'd been guessing this whole time. To actually know that we were having a son made everything real, made it sink in.

She looked down, rubbing her stomach. "William," she whispered.

That was right. We'd agreed some time ago that if we had a boy, his name would be William after my dad. Middle name Edward after her dad.

Resting my hand over hers, I echoed her. "William."

Ten minutes later, we made it back downstairs. Nessie waved a picture in front of Bella's face. Instantly, Bella was off the couch. "So?" she demanded excitedly.

"Oh like you didn't hear?" I said.

She shook her head. "I was studiously not paying attention. Now tell me."

Alice, Esme, and Rosalie all joined Bella to stand around us.

"It's a boy!" Nessie said as if she'd been dying to say it.

They all squealed.

I looked over at Emmett. We shared an eye roll. Breaking away from the girls, I went to stand with Edward, Emmett, Jasper, and Carlisle, who had come down behind us.

Emmett slapped me on the back. "Baby boy! Good job, man. We're gonna teach the little guy to fight."

"After he phases," I amended. "You're not gonna break my kid."

Didn't faze him. He just grinned.

Jasper chuckled. "We'll rein him in. Until then, I think you should worry more about the women coddling him." He gestured with his chin to the group of women.

I chuckled, watching them, too. "I'll be sure to invite you to hang out with the guys. He can play poker with us and watch football."

"Sounds good. If you ever need a mood-calmer, just call. I've made a few trips for Seth and Shelby."

"Thanks." We shook hands. "That might be needed."

"For both you and the baby."

We all laughed.

"I hear ya. Thanks."

Edward just smiled, laughing quietly. "Congratulations. He'll be in good hands, and have a great role model for being a good man."

He and I shared a loaded look full of years of knowing each other, fighting over Bella, fighting for Bella. Nessie's birth and their acceptance of my imprint. And now my marriage to their daughter, the fact that we were having a baby. I was surprised at how much what he said meant to me.

Clearing my throat, I managed, "Thank you, Edward."

"Jake," Ness called.

I turned to her, still feeling a bit emotional. "Yeah."

"We need to go see your dad. Tell him. He'd love to know."

"Yeah, sure. Call Becca and Rachel to meet us there. They'll kill me if I tell Billy and not them."

"Will do." She said bye to her aunts and Bella, pulling her phone out of her pocket as she came to stand with me.

Wrapping my arm around her, we said our goodbyes and headed out. Nessie managed to get my sisters on the phone and to Billy's house for the announcement and the picture pass-out.

They and their husbands were waiting on us by the time we walked down. I'd wanted to take a Cullen car, but Ness insisted that we walk. It had started to rain on the way down. I gave her look. She didn't need to get sick...not that she ever had before, but still. There was a first time for everything.

Billy rolled out to meet us, a big grin stretching his lips. We ran up to the awning as the rain picked up.

"Hey!" he said, holding his arms out.

Ness bent down to hug him. "Hi! It's been a while."

"Yeah, you should grace the rez more often with your presence."

Laughing, she backed up. "Blame your son. He's been keeping me locked up. Until recently."

"Hey! I have not. You've been free to go out. I did not keep you in the house against your will."

Billy gave me a look. "Mhm."

And then rolled over my foot as he took the lead inside.

"Ow," I said sarcastically as I followed them inside.

When I stepped inside, Ness was already hugging Rebecca and Rachel. Paul was messing around with Henry and a toy wolf. Tom was in the kitchen, probably getting the little guy something to eat. It was lunch time after all.

Becca and Rachel grabbed me and tugged me into hugs and kisses.

"This is so exciting, Jake. Really, congratulations," Becca said. "A baby is a blessing. You have nothing to be worried about. You'll be great."

I gave Nessie a look.

She shrugged. "I need a social life. Besides, they're your sisters."

I rolled my eyes playfully. "That doesn't meant you gotta tell everyone. Geez, woman."

Hugging Rachel, I asked her, "How are you and Paul?" in a low voice.

Smiling sadly, she shook her head. "Not yet. But the doctors say we're both healthy, so that's a good thing. It took Emily and Sam a while so..."

I rubbed her neck. "Keep your head up, okay? It took us a while, too. Maybe it's a wolf thing."

She nudged me, smiling. "Sometimes it's hard to believe you're younger than me. You went and grew up on us."

"Amen to that," Becca said. "But it suits you, Jake."

"It really does, son," Billy said.

"Thanks. To all of you."

They all went to sit down and stare at me and Ness.

Billy clapped his hands. "Now, tell us what my newest grandbaby is gonna be."

They all laughed as Nessie came to tuck herself under my arm. She was chewing her lip.

"Jacob?" she said. "You wanna do the honors since I told everyone we were pregnant?"

Nodding, I cleared my throat. "We're having a boy."

While they cheered, Nessie handed out all the pictures, showing them what Carlisle had seen. Now that I knew what I was looking at, it was pretty clear it was a boy.

"Yes!" Billy said. "The second grandson for this Papaw. I can dig it."

We all laughed. He'd been tons more cheery since first Rachel and then Rebecca had come back for good. And Henry. Man, he loved that kid.

"You're going to get a taste of your own medicine, Jake," Becca said, rocking Henry while he played with his toy. "You were terrible. If your son is anything like you were, I can't wait to see that."

Laughing, I pulled Ness back into my side. She was rubbing her belly again. "Thanks, Becca. I appreciate the support."

"Anytime, baby brother."

I rolled my eyes.

"So, do you have a name picked out yet?" Tom asked. "Took us forever to figure out what to name Henry."

"Actually," Nessie said, sitting down in my lap, "we do. We figured that out before we got pregnant."

"Oh, really?" Paul said, pulling Rachel into his lap.

She nodded. "Mhm. William, after his grandfather." She motioned to Billy. "And Edward for his middle name after my dad."

"William Edward Black," Billy said with a smile. "I like it."

I could tell he was really happy about the naming of my son after him even though he tried to hide it. He looked down at the picture Ness had given him. It meant a lot to me that it meant that much to him. All these years, there had been times that I had been less than appreciative of him, of all he'd done for me. His daughters hadn't wanted to come home in fear of memories of our lost mother. That had hurt him more than he'd let anybody see, but I'd caught him going through all the pictures every now and then, clearly hoping for his girls to come home.

Now they were. Rachel married into the pack. Becca had Henry. And now, I was having a son. The next generation of the pack was well on its way, especially if more females became pregnant. The enemy was gone for now, the stress levels practically obliterated. Nessie had been afraid of not being able to get pregnant but Carlisle had told her that her body knew when it wasn't a good time. The same probably went for all the females. I had a strong feeling that a lot of them were going to come up pregnant soon. A baby boom of our own.

Ness and I spent about an hour or so down there. Everybody ribbed on me and my "bad boy" attitude from when I was little, hoping that my son would give me the same problems. Nessie begged for story after story.

"Alright, alright," I said, waving my hands. "Enough, guys. I gotta get Ness home."

She turned to look at me. "Jake-"

"You're hungry. I can hear it."

"We have food, Jake," Billy said.

I gave Ness raised eyebrows. "That's not what she's hungry for."

She lowered her eyes, and I knew I was right.

"You mean blood?" Becca asked nervously.

I nodded. "Half vampire who can't get protein through meat or other human food. There's only one other way for her to get it. Plus any other nutrients that she's not getting through the fruits and veggies."

Billy chuckled just as nervously. "Sorry, but I'm fresh out."

Nessie laughed as she stood up. "It's okay. Jake is right, though. We kind of missed lunch, and I am craving. I know it can be difficult to come to terms with. That's why we try not to talk about it."

I stood up, hands on her hips. "Yeah, plus I've gotta go buy a couple of doors and install them for the closet."

"Need any help?" Paul asked.

"Sure, if you're not busy."

He and Rachel shared a look. She shrugged. "Go for it."

We said our goodbyes. Rachel and Paul both followed us out. Their house was on the way to ours.

Nessie's phone rang.

"Hello?"

"You better tell me what that baby is," I heard very clearly in Tricia's voice.

Laughing, Nessie rubbed her stomach. "Calm down, Tricia. I was just about to text you. We all were right. It's a boy."

"Yay!"

And then she calmed down enough that I couldn't hear her. They passed a little back and forth before she hung up. Apparently, Tricia was sending Embry up to the house to help finish up the project. When we reached the street that Paul and Rachel's house was on, she said her goodbyes and went home. Paul stayed with us. At our turn off that was just down the road from the Cullen turn off, Embry and Tricia met up with us.

Tricia hugged Nessie. "I'm so happy for you. And happy that we were right. Can I see the picture?"

"Sure." Ness dug it out of her pocket.

Embry and I bumped fists, then Embry and Paul while the girls gushed over the picture.

"Women," Paul murmured.

Tricia glared at him. With those ice blue eyes, she looked freaking creepy. When Paul held up his hands in surrender, she went back to the picture, smiling as if nothing had happened. Embry laughed, clapping him on the back.

Chuckling, I went up to the girls. "Ladies, we should get inside before the rain starts up again. Neither of you need to get sick."

They both grinned at me and started up the drive.

"Dude," Paul muttered to Embry. "Your girlfriend is scary as shit."

"She's my fiancee."

"Whatever."

"I think she's hot," Embry said.

Laughing, I followed them up the drive. "You should see the nail marks in his skin."

Paul shook his head. "Don't wanna know, man. Too much info for me."

The moment we got to the house, Ness made a beeline for the fridge. Tricia grabbed some fruit to cut up while Ness poured a glass of blood. The boys and I went downstairs to finish up the closet project. Embry really did know what he was doing. Once he gave me and Paul the measurements, we went into town to buy the doors. Luckily they had ones that matched the door that was already attached to my closet.

Before Ness and I fell into bed that night, the doors were hinged up nice and tight. Now all we had to do was finish moving stuff around and paint it up, though I wanted to do the painting so that Nessie wasn't around to breathe in the fumes. There was a window at the end of the closet that I could open that was just above ground level.

But that was for another day. This day had been filled to the brim with excitement and finishing up projects.

While Nessie snoozed on my chest, I put a hand behind my head and stared at the ceiling. A son. I was having a son of my own. Immediately, I'd felt a sort of male connection with the baby the moment I'd realized it was a boy. Protective, but more...proud, I supposed. How would I have felt with a baby girl? Probably fiercely protective. I was that way with Nessie. No doubt my daughter would be a daddy's girl. This little boy was definitely going to be a momma's boy, I just knew it. But I'd definitely teach him the guy stuff. It was my responsibility as the dad.

What do you know. I didn't shiver that time. I had a feeling that was over. I had a son on the way. No more shuddering or shivering. I was going to be a father. It was time to act like it.

Tucking Nessie closer to me, her swollen belly rubbing my side, I fell into an easy sleep, finally accepting that we were pregnant.

Six months left until we met him.

I couldn't wait.

So? How are we liking Jacob? I love him to death. Still my favorite. I'm hoping to get more Walker and Christa in, but I just don't know. We'll see. We did see some girl time in this chapter which I loved, but it's always hard for me to write. I'm more comfortable around guys. I tend to insult girls too easily. And tips for me? Review! I love them! Please? Pretty please? No matter what, I still love you guys! xoxoxoxoxo