CHAPTER 30
COME TOGETHER
Paul could see by the look on Travis' face he was really scared. Leah had moved closer to Paul just in time to hear Travis announce that Sam was hurt. It was like someone just kicked her in the gut.
"What?" Leah struggled for air. "Is he here, Trav?"
Travis nodded as Paul put him down. "They carried him in the back door." Leah took off at a run to the back of the house. Sam! Even though she loved Paul with all her heart, Sam was . . . well, he was Sam.
When she reached the room, Jared and Quill had already laid him on the bed. Emily was trying to help and not fall apart at the same time. There was blood dripping down Sam's face from a huge gash on his forehead. "Hey, tell me what happened," Leah demanded as she marched into the room, moving right into nurse mode.
"Oh, Leah, thank God," Emily gushed. "Help him." Leah nodded and stepped up to take a look at Sam's forehead then she looked over his naked torso for bite marks. Vampire venom was deadly to wolves, but so far she didn't see any. She glanced over at Jared. "Hey! Talk! Tell me what happened so I know what to do here!"
Jared quickly looked over at Emily suddenly wishing she didn't have to hear what he had to say. Leah caught his look and said, "Em, can you get some warm water and a wash cloth so we can clean this? I can't see how bad it is." Emily nodded and ran from the room.
Leah looked back at Jared as she ran her hands over Sam's body to calculate how many bones may be broken. "Well, we were after a leech and suddenly there were two and Sam got caught right between them. The one picked Sam up and squeezed him like a stuffed animal or something then he slammed him into a tree. Embry, Collin and Brady took off after the other one, but as soon as Quil and I got close enough to take this fucker out, he shot up into the trees. Jacob sent Seth to get Dr. Fang then he joined the rest of the pack and Quil and I brought Sam here."
"Are these the same ones that killed the hikers a few days ago?" Leah asked as she looked over the gash on Sam's head. As far as she could tell, it was about four inches long and it was deep.
"Yeah," Quil answered. "Wait, how did you know about that?"
Leah glanced up at Quil. "Paul told me he was patrolling when he found out from Seth about me and the baby. But Em told Paul when he called that Sam figured it was just a bear."
"Sam didn't want Paul to worry about it, I suppose. He had bigger things to worry about, like how to get your ass back here," Jared finished with a grin.
Leah rolled her eyes and quickly took Sam's pulse. She was more worried about his breathing - it was very shallow. She wished she had her stethoscope so she could listen to his lungs, but it was packed in a box somewhere out in Paul's truck. She had a suspicion that Sam had broken ribs and she was afraid one of them could have punctured his lung.
"Look, we have to get back out there. You, OK here?" Jared asked.
Leah nodded. "Yeah, thanks."
Quil walked out of the room, but Jared stopped beside Leah to say softly, "Glad you're back," patting her shoulder before leaving the room to run straight into Paul at the door.
"Shit, Jared!" Paul said.
"Yeah, I missed you, too, bro!" Jared said with a grin.
Jared started to leave, but Paul's hand shot out to catch him. "Hey, wait." Then Paul said to Leah, "Is he going to be OK? How bad is he?"
"I'm not sure yet. He may have a punctured lung. I need the leech doctor here to make sure and to treat him. I don't have any fucking supplies," Leah answered in frustration. She had been thinking on the way home of making this room into a clinic of sorts and supplying it with things she would need in case this happened. She just didn't anticipate it happening so soon.
Paul nodded and said, "I called your mom and asked her to come over and watch Noah and Trav. As soon as she gets here, I'm out with the pack." Paul felt the excitement running through him at the thought of finally getting to chase down a bloodsucker. It had been way too long. Leah saw that excitement and it worried her.
Paul saw that worry on her face and grinned. "Come on, don't do that. You've been out there with me. You know I can hold my own."
"I know," she admitted with a small smile. "But so can Sam . . ."
Paul stepped up and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. "I'll be back soon. I promise." Then he turned to Jared and said, "Come on. Fill me in on what the hell is going on out there." They left the room and Leah turned back to Sam. She bent over him and laid her ear close to his chest to try and judge if he was getting enough air.
Emily walked back in with a basin of water and a cloth and moved to the opposite side of the bed to begin cleaning the gash on Sam's forehead. "It's not the gash you're worried about, is it? He's not breathing well. It's something else," Emily asked softly.
Just then, Leah's whole body tensed as she smelled something she hadn't in a very long time . . . vampire stench. Carlisle Cullen came into the room with Seth and Tyler trailing behind carrying large cases full of medical supplies. Leah sighed and tried to relax her body. He's a doctor, she kept telling herself. Just treat him like any of the doctors you have been working with for the last few months. Forget that he's a fucking bloodsucker.
"Leah! You're back," Seth said with surprise as he set one of the cases down.
"Hey, little brother," Leah threw at him with a small smile then she turned to Carlisle who had stepped up to look over Sam. "He has a deep gash on his forehead, two broken bones in his right arm and I suspect broken ribs. His breathing is so shallow, I'm afraid he may have a punctured lung," Leah reported as she glanced up at Emily. Emily looked at her and nodded.
Carlisle also nodded and took out his stethoscope to listen to Sam's lungs. "Is there anything else you need, Carlisle?" Seth asked.
"No, thank you, Seth," he replied. Seth nodded and squeezed Leah's shoulder as he passed on his way out. Tyler followed, but stopped at Leah.
Leah looked at him and could see the worry in his eyes. "Hey, Ty," she said as she folded him into a hug. "Don't worry. Wolves heal very quickly and Carlisle is a very good doctor. Sam will be OK."
With that, Leah pulled back and Tyler gave her a soft smile. "I'm glad you're back," he said shyly.
"Me, too," she answered with a smile. "Look after Travis, will you? I know he's scared. And maybe you could help with Noah?" He nodded and she added, "Oh, I forgot . . . there is a small cooler in the truck. It has a bottle in it for the baby. Could you go out and get it? He'll be hungry soon."
"Sure." Tyler moved quickly from the room to take care of that for her. She smiled at the door and again was so amazed at the heart in that kid, given where he came from.
Leah refocused and stepped over to the cases the boys brought in and she opened them. Inside the first one, she found a blood pressure cuff and a stethoscope. She pulled them out and stepped over to Sam to get a reading. As she strapped the cuff on, Carlisle glanced up and gave her a slight nod.
"I think you may be right about the lung," Carlisle said as he stepped over to the other case and pulled out a portable oxygen tank. Leah marveled at how he just had all of this medical equipment in his car. Who travels with an oxygen tank? After setting it on the table next to the bed, he placed the mask on Sam's face and adjusted the dial to give him enough oxygen to ease his breathing. "This will help some until I can determine how quickly he's healing."
"Emily?" Emily jumped as Leah called her name. She had faded into the background after cleaning Sam's face and she was trying hard to hold herself together as she watched Carlisle and Leah work. "Yes?" she answered weakly.
"Do you have a pad of paper and a pencil? I need to write this down," Leah requested. Emily nodded and moved to get what Leah had asked for.
"What is it?" Carlisle asked.
"112 over 60," Leah reported and Carlisle nodded.
"I need to reset the bones in his arm here quickly . . . they've already started healing." Leah cringed as she remembered how horrible it had been to hear Jake scream as Carlisle had to reset his bones after the fight with the newborns. She quickly shoved that memory from her head as Emily returned with her pad of paper and pencil.
"Thanks, Em," Leah said as she took them from her. She wrote down, 9:30 pm - BP 112/60, and set the pad and pencil down. She would check it again in 15 minutes.
"Leah, why don't you go ahead and start an IV and I'll give him something for the pain before I reset the bones. Are you comfortable with that?" Carlisle asked.
"Yes, I can do that," Leah assured him. She went to the case and pulled out the supplies she would need as Carlisle again used his stethoscope to listen to Sam's lungs. She realized as she slipped on the rubber gloves, she was a little nervous . . . she had done this many times at school, but this was Sam. This was someone she cared about. But this was why she had gone to school in the first place . . . to take care of those she loved. Bravely swallowing her fear, Leah went to work.
Leah inserted the needle perfectly the first time, taped it down and hooked it up to the IV line. "Em, can you find a nail or something on the wall to hang this bag on? Maybe take down that picture?"
Emily nodded and took the picture that was hanging over the bed off the wall then took the bag of fluid from Leah and hung it on the nail. Leah checked the line for any bubbles then she turned to Carlisle and asked, "Could you check this for me . . . just to be sure?"
With a smile, Carlisle nodded and moved over to take a look. "Good work, Leah. Your brother told me you were doing very well at nursing school."
"I really love it," Leah admitted.
"Good. Your pack will certainly benefit from your education."
"Well, I didn't think I'd have to use it so soon."
Carlisle looked up at Emily and said in a calming voice, "Emily, Sam is stable right now, which is good. I don't see any complications from the wound on his head, but I am going to have to reset the bones in his arm and it will be painful for him. I'm going to give him some morphine to help, but I want you to be prepared for him to scream." Emily nodded silently, trying her best to hold her tears inside. "I suspect that the lung will also heal itself, but I will watch him closely for the next 30 minutes or so. If I don't see improvement, I will have to insert a chest tube. I want you to know that I will do everything I can for him, alright?"
"Yes, I know. I trust you," Emily said weakly.
Carlisle moved to the case and came back with a small bottle. He inserted a syringe into it to load the medication and then he moved to the IV. He pushed the syringe into the IV line and then looked at Leah. "There is more in the case there and he can have more after 4 hours if needed."
Leah nodded and jotted that onto the pad of paper. "How much?" Carlisle told her and she jotted that down, too.
Carlisle looked at Emily and said, "You may want to go out and prepare the others for what they will hear." Emily nodded and left the room. Leah closed her eyes for a moment in worry not only for Sam, but for Tyler and Travis. Again she remembered that day with Jake . . . his screams echoing through the house and out into the yard . . . then running away from it. She had to be braver this time than she was then.
Carlisle looked at Leah and said, "I will need you to stand here and hold him down as best you can." Leah nodded and moved into position. "Ready?"
NO! She wanted to scream. Instead she answered calmly, "Yes."
At the crack of the first bone, Sam's body jerked and his scream echoed around the room and through the house. Emily came running into the room and she quickly moved to the other side of the bed and put her hands on Sam's shoulder to help hold him down. Once he settled down, Carlisle said, "One down, one to go." He looked at both women then said, "Ready?" They both nodded and he quickly broke the other bone and reset it. Again Sam's body jerked and he screamed, this time adding a few obscenities.
It took all three of them to settle him down and make him comfortable and by the time they were done, Leah realized how badly she was shaking. She looked over at Emily who wasn't even hiding her tears anymore. They were rolling down her face as she ran her hand through Sam's hair.
Leah moved over to Emily and put her arm around her shoulder. "It's OK, Em. Sam is strong and stubborn. You know he won't lay there for long. He can't stand not being able to boss everyone around."
Emily actually let out a short laugh through her tears and laid her head on Leah's shoulder. Leah realized then how much she had missed her cousin. They had been so close growing up . . . . she was the sister that Leah never had. Now she had a baby, and Emily was pregnant. That was certainly something they could bond over. Leah decided she would make an effort to do just that now that she was home.
As if on cue, Noah started crying and it immediately got Leah's attention. Carlisle looked over at her and smiled. "Seth also shared with me that you were now a mother. I take it that's him?"
"Yes. I usually give him a bath and feed him and then put him down for the night about now."
"Sam is stable for now. Go ahead if you need to," Carlisle said.
"Paul called my mom to come and take care of him, but I need to see if she's here yet," Leah told him. "I'll be back." She left the room and quickly made her way toward her son.
Leah found Tyler holding a crying Noah while Sue was in the kitchen heating the bottle. Travis ran to her and said, "Leah, the baby is crying!"
Leah hugged Travis to her side and laughed. "Yeah, I know. I bet he's hungry." She had missed him so much and she wished she had time to sit and hold him and talk to him.
"Is Sam gonna scream again?" Travis asked warily.
"No, honey. He's sleeping now. He'll be OK," Leah reassured him. "Here, I'll take him." Leah took the baby from Ty and cradled him close. "Shh, Grandma's hurrying." She walked into the kitchen and smiled. "Hey, Mom."
"Oh, honey," Sue said as she enveloped both her daughter and grandson in a hug. "I have missed you both so much."
"We missed you, too."
Sue let them go and pulled the bottle out of the microwave. She put the top on and shook it up real well then tested it on her wrist. "Alright, give me that baby." Leah handed Noah over to her and Sue stuck the bottle into his mouth. Instant quiet. Sue smiled down at him. "Aww, you feel better now, don't you, sweet pea?"
Leah smiled at her mom and held up her left hand to show her the beautiful engagement ring that now sat there. "So? Don't you have anything to say?"
Sue smiled at her. "You know how I've felt for a long time now. You know I didn't approve of you shacking up with him last winter then having a baby and not telling him. I want you settled, Leah. You have a child together . . . you should be married. It's the proper thing to do."
Leah huffed at her mom for lecturing her. "Whatever. As long as you're happy, I guess," she said.
Sue replied, "It's not my happiness I'm worried about here. This little guy needs a mommy and a daddy, and I'm glad he will have both living under one roof. Besides, anyone can see how crazy you are about each other. I would bet it won't be long before little Noah here has a brother or a sister."
"Mother!"
Sue laughed. "What? I may be old, but I'm not dumb. I mean, you spent what, three nights with the guy and you got pregnant? I hope you're on the pill now, that's all I can say."
Leah laughed along with her mom. "Not that it's any of your business, but . . . yes, I am."
"I have to say, I do admire Paul more and more everyday. If he could manage to get you to come home AND get a ring on your finger . . . well, he is quite a guy."
Leah shook her head and smiled. "Yeah, tell him that. Give him an even bigger head."
"So, when is the wedding?"
"I have no idea. We haven't really hadn't had time to plan anything."
Sue walked out to the living room and sat down in the rocking chair to feed Noah. "Well, you know I'll help with anything you need."
"Yes, I know that, Mom. Well, I can see that Noah is in good hands, so I'll get back to Sam," Leah told her.
"Hey, how is Sam?"
Leah sighed and told her mom what she knew, trying to keep it light in front of the boys. Sue realized that and nodded. "Everything you need for Noah is in the diaper bag."
"I know, honey. We'll be fine. I have good help here," Sue added, looking at the boys, who were planted in front of the TV.
Leah smiled and bent down to Travis. "Can I have a hug, little man?" He nodded and hugged her tight around the neck. "Oh, I missed you so much."
"I missed you, too," Travis mumbled. Leah pulled away and Travis asked, "Where's Paul? Why did he leave?"
"Well . . . " she glanced over at Tyler. She wasn't sure what Ty had told him about Sam.
"Trav, I told you, Paul had to go out with the other guys to help hunt down the bear that hurt Sam," Tyler said quickly.
Travis looked Leah in the eye and blinked back his tears. "What if the bear gets Paul?"
Leah felt her heart break. She pulled Travis back to her and said, "Oh, honey. Paul will be very careful, I promise. The bear surprised Sam, and he wasn't ready to fight him. But Paul has the pack . . . um the guys with him. They'll be OK."
Travis cried a little into her shoulder then he stepped back and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "I have to get back to Sam, OK?" Travis nodded and she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Standing up, Leah looked at Tyler. "You know, tomorrow is a school day. Maybe you could try to get him to go to sleep?"
Tyler nodded and Leah smiled at him then turned and made her way back to Sam's room. As she walked in, Carlisle looked up and said, "I need to step out and make a phone call. I'd like to check on my family." He gave her a look and she realized how worried he was about his family being out chasing whoever had done this to Sam, just as much as she was worried about her family. Weird.
"Yes, of course," Leah answered. Carlisle nodded with a small smile and moved past her and down the hall. Leah looked over at Emily to say, "He's so nice . . . it's easy to forget he's a bloodsucker."
Emily smiled at that as Leah picked up the blood pressure cuff to take another reading. "Leah?" Leah turned to Emily. "I need to use the bathroom. Can I get you anything? Are you hungry or thirsty?"
Leah shook her head. "No, I'm fine. But you might want to bring in some water for Sam. When he wakes up, he may be pretty thirsty."
Nodding, Emily walked out as Leah strapped the cuff onto Sam's arm and pumped it up then listened closely to get a reading. As soon as she had it, she took off the cuff and picked up the pencil to write it down. That's when she heard Sam's muffled voice, "Why is this fucking thing on my face?"
Leah looked over just in time to see Sam pull the oxygen mask off of his face with his good arm. Grabbing it, she retorted, "It's there so you can fucking breathe! Now put it back."
"Leah," Sam said with a grin before she could cover his mouth. "God, I missed you."
Smiling back, Leah replied, "Yeah? I figured things were pretty quiet around here without me."
"Too quiet. What's wrong with me? Everything fucking hurts! And why do I feel so damned drunk?"
"You let a leech beat the shit out of you. You have broken bones that need to heal, so Doc gave you some morphine."
"Man, this is strong shit," Sam said with a thick tongue.
"Yes, that's why you should be sleeping." Leah leaned down to move the oxygen mask back into place and before she knew it, Sam had grabbed her with his good hand behind her neck and pulled her face to his and crushed his lips onto her mouth. She was stunned for a second or two as his vaguely familiar lips moved over hers then finally she pulled away. "Sam! What the hell?"
"I miss you, Leah. I miss kissing you," Sam slurred. "Among other things," he added with another goofy grin.
Oh shit. She knew it was the morphine talking, but she couldn't let Emily hear this. "Sam, you need to sleep. I'm putting this mask back on, so behave and let me do my job."
Sam moved his head back and forth to make it difficult for her to get the mask in place. "Sam, I swear I will kick your ass if you don't stop it!"
That made him giggle. "Like when you hit me at the bonfire? That fucking hurt, Leah!" Sam's hand brushed her breast then he smiled as he tried to grab it.
"I swear I'll do it again if you don't knock it off!" Leah warned as she stood with her hands on her hips and glared at him.
"Is he awake?" Emily asked as she walked in with a pitcher of ice water and a cup.
"Yes, and he is acting like an ass," Leah huffed as she slapped Sam's roaming hand then stepped back and gave him a mean look.
Emily set the water down and moved to the other side of the bed. "Oh Sam, I was so worried," she gushed as she leaned over him.
"Why? I'm fine," Sam answered with a lop-sided grin. "I feel great."
"I'm sure you do," Emily replied looking at Leah as if to ask if it was the morphine. Leah nodded and Emily said, "You won't feel so great after the morphine wears off."
"I need to go and help the guys . . .," Sam said as he tried to sit up. "Holy fucking shit!" He winced in pain as Emily helped him lay back down. "Fuck that hurts!"
"I tried to tell you, Sam. You have a broken arm and quite a few broken ribs. One of them punctured your lung. You have to stay still so they heal, you fucking idiot," Leah scolded him angrily.
"Fine," Sam whined. "I can't breathe very well."
"I know. That's why you had the mask on. Now shut up and let me put it back on," Leah insisted. Sam nodded as Leah finally got the mask in place then Sam closed his eyes and his breathing evened out. Leah looked over at Emily to ask, "Why do men turn into 5-year-olds when they're sick?"
Emily laughed as Carlisle came back in. "How is he?"
"He's awake and acting like an ass. So, I'd say he's just fine," Leah reported.
Carlisle chuckled as he moved over to Sam and took out his little flashlight. "Sam? It's Carlisle Cullen." Opening one of Sam's eyes with his thumb, he shined the flashlight back and forth checking to see how his pupils dilated. "How is the pain?" Carlisle asked as he opened the other eye and flashed the light back and forth.
Leah held the mask up so Sam could answer, praying he would behave now. "It's OK if I don't move," he answered.
"How about here," Carlisle asked as he felt around Sam's rib cage. Sam jumped and cried out. "Sorry about that. Is that tender there?"
"Yeah."
"Alright. You have some broken ribs and I believe that one of them punctured your lung. That's why are you are experiencing difficulty breathing. But you seem to be healing at an exceptional rate, so I believe you will be fine in a few hours. But you need to lay still and rest and let your body do the work for you."
Sam nodded and then said, "I'm thirsty. Can I have some water?"
"Yes, of course," Carlisle answered.
Emily stepped up with a cup of water and helped him drink. Carlisle moved to Leah and said, "I think he needs to stay on the oxygen for a couple of more hours at least. By morning, you can take out the IV and then you be the judge on how his bones have healed. If you think he can handle it, let him move around, alright?" Leah nodded. "I need to get out there and check on my family." Holding out a business card, he added, "Here is my cell phone number if you have any questions at all."
Leah took the card with a nod and slid it into her pocket. "Thanks."
Carlisle smiled then told her, "You are a good nurse, Leah. Come and talk to me at the hospital sometime. I would like to help you get set up here."
"I was thinking of doing just that on the way home. I didn't realize I would need it so soon. And thank you. I will come to see you."
"Good." Carlisle turned to Emily and explained that he would be leaving and he was confident that Leah could handle things. Emily thanked him and told him she would walk him out. They left the room and Leah turned to Sam.
"Leah?" Sam had removed the mask again.
"Sam, please, you need to leave this . . . "
"I know. I just want to say I'm sorry. For before."
"Well, I think I'll survive. I mean, it's not like you've never kissed and groped me before."
Sam smiled at that then replied, "Yeah, but now I'm a married man. Probably not a good idea."
"Probably not. Let's just chalk it up to the morphine. Now go to sleep."
Leah took the mask from him and put it back in place and he closed his eyes. Emily walked back in and Leah said, "I'll stay here tonight with you and monitor him." Emily nodded. "I want to go and make sure that Noah is settled for the night, OK?"
"Sure, go ahead. Why don't you take the room next to this one? You can put Noah there and grab a couple of hours of sleep."
"Em, listen . . . you're pregnant, and you need your rest, too."
"I know. I'll sit with him while you catch some sleep then you can relieve me and I'll sleep. Deal?"
"OK. Deal," Leah agreed with a smile. "But you will come and get me if you need me, promise?"
"I promise, boss," Emily returned with her own smile.
Leah turned to leave the room just as the back door opened and she heard Paul's booming voice, "We got the mother fucker!"
Leah stepped out into the hall to remind him there were kids in the house and he should watch his mouth when he swept her up into his arms and kissed her hard on the mouth. Jared and Quil and Embry all laughed and whooped until he finally set her down again. "What is with all of you? There is a baby in the house! Keep it down!" Leah scolded.
"Ooo, in trouble already with the little woman," Embry elbowed Paul.
Leah glared at him. "Little woman? Really, Embry?" Leah said as she walked slowly toward him. Quil stepped in front of her and defended Embry.
"Come on, Leah, he was just joking. We're excited! The leeches are fucking history!"
Leah rolled her eyes as Paul put his arm around her. "Come on, babe. How's Sam?"
"He's going to be fine. Carlisle told him to rest all night and he should be fine later tomorrow."
Embry and Quil moved past them toward the kitchen then Paul surprised Leah by pulling her into the bathroom across the hall. He was rock hard and he needed Leah . . . now. As soon as the door was closed, Leah found herself pressed against it by Paul's body. His lips crushed down on hers and his hand immediately went to the crotch of her jeans. She managed to shove him away long enough to ask, "Paul, what is with you?"
"The adrenaline rush, baby. I need you, right now." His lips were back on hers as his hand was trying hard to undo her zipper.
"We are not alone, you know. Everyone can hear you . . . "
"Like they don't feel the same thing? Poor Emrbry and Quil . . . they only have Mr. Hand," he said quickly with a grin then his lips found hers again. Her jeans hit the floor, along with her underwear, then Paul pulled her left leg up and propped it on top of his so he could push his fingers inside her. Leah didn't have any time to prepare and she gasped at the intrusion.
"Paul, please . . . " she started, but he kept at it and before long, she felt that heat start at her core and move through her whole body. His lips left hers and trailed down to her neck where his teeth bit into her shoulder and she moaned.
Paul's hand left her so he could yank down his shorts and she could see and feel how badly he wanted her. His hands moved to her ass and he hauled her up his body and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. As he pressed into her and hissed into her ear, "I need to fuck you, baby, please?"
"Yes, yes . . . "
Lifting her up, Paul pushed into her with such force she almost screamed. He covered her mouth with his to keep her quiet and drove into her over and over. She wound her fingers into his hair and pulled to keep herself from crying out. His hand moved down between them and helped her along as he pumped and Leah felt on fire.
"Ohmygod, ohmygod," she whispered over and over until she came so hard she thought maybe her head exploded. Paul grunted and she felt him shake as he came inside her. He panted and struggled to catch his breath, as did she.
Finally, he lifted her off and let her slide down his body to her feet. "Baby, I'm sorry. Are you OK? Did I hurt you?" he asked softly.
Leah laughed at that. "I don't know. I don't think I've ever had an orgasm like that before. That was intense."
Paul grinned. "It was all I could do to get back here to you."
"So, what did you used to do with that adrenaline before me?" Leah wanted to know.
"Me and Mr. Hand got to know each other very well," Paul returned with a laugh. Leah just smiled and kissed him and then he pulled her close and nuzzled her neck. "God, I love you so much, Leah."
"Yeah? That's good, because you're stuck with me now."
Paul smiled back at her then bent down and picked up her jeans and underwear. As he held them out he asked, "Noah, OK?"
Leah took them and pulled them on. "Yes. Mom fed him and I was just on my way to relieve her. Can you get the crib out of the truck and bring it in? Em said we could have the room next to Sam down here. I was going to grab a couple of hours of sleep then get up and take over so she could sleep."
Paul nodded. "Sounds good. I could use some sleep." Giving her a quick kiss, Paul then opened the bathroom door and walked out into the hall, with Leah following to the front of the house where they found Sue sitting in an old rocking chair with Noah.
"Where are the guys?" Paul asked.
"They went home to sleep. Jake, Seth, Collin and Brady stayed out to make sure all was clear then after the others get some sleep, they'll switch," Sue reported.
"Oh, OK. Well, I'll go get the crib."
Leah watched Paul walk out the door as she sunk down on the couch and looked over at Sue. "Did he take the whole bottle?"
"Yes, he did," Sue smiled. "He's been sleeping quite awhile. I just couldn't put him down."
"Tyler and Travis go to bed?"
"Yes. Tyler is so good with his little brother. He took him upstairs and got him to go to sleep."
Leah smiled at her mom. Paul told her that they still fought sometimes like brothers do, but for the most part, Tyler was pretty nurturing when it came to his little brother. "Paul and I are staying here tonight so I can keep an eye on Sam. As soon as Paul sets the crib up, I'll put Noah down for the night. Thanks so much for coming right over."
"Of course. That's what Grandmas are for," Sue replied.
Paul came in and took the crib back to the bedroom then Sue got up and reluctantly handed Noah to Leah. "Alright, here you go," she said. "Call me tomorrow and let me know how Sam is, OK?"
"I will, I promise."
Sue dropped a light kiss on Noah's head then looked up at Leah. "You're a good mom, honey. I always knew you would be if you got the chance."
"Thanks, Mom. I learned from the best."
Sue winked at her then walked to the door. As the door closed behind her, Leah turned to walk to the bedroom. Paul had the crib set up so Leah laid Noah down and covered him up with the blue blanket that Sue had wrapped around him. Paul stepped over, threw his arm over her shoulder and looked down at the baby. "Man, he's a good looking kid."
Leah rolled her eyes then turned into Paul and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'm so glad you're alright."
"Please, Leah. It was hardly a fight. Embry and Quil had it cornered and I just ran in for the kill. The Cullens got the other one on their side of the line." Leah thought how relieved Carlisle must be that all his family was safe. She hated thinking of him as a person instead of leech, but for some reason, she couldn't help it. "Come on, let's get some sleep."
Paul flipped off the light and they crawled onto the bed. Leah left her clothes on in case she had to get up in a hurry to run to Sam. Paul pulled her close to spoon then threw his huge arm over her and they were both asleep in no time.