Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. I don't have that kind of cash.
Bella breathed deep as her feet pounded the gravel. She had started running for an hour every morning less than a week ago. She could already feel that her clothes were a little looser, but so far she hadn't lost any weight. The time alone gave her time to think. The boys were only a couple of weeks old, but they were already forming their own identities.
John didn't cry much, not unless he was hungry or he needed his diaper changed. Josh on the other hand didn't like loud noises. Angus had woken him up the other day when he was greeting Jacob when he came home from work. It had taken Bella nearly ten minutes to calm him down again.
Angus ran ahead of her, rounding the last corner before heading home. Bella smelled coffee as soon as she walked in the door. Jacob leaned against the kitchen door jamb with a towel in his hand. He handed it to her as she passed him.
"Thanks," she said before kissing his cheek.
"How was your run?"
"Good. I made it to the main road today."
"That means you ran three miles in an hour. That's good."
"No it's great. Running is helping me with my balance; you were right."
"I told you," he said kissing her bare shoulder.
"How can you kiss me? I'm all sweaty."
"The same way you can do it. I don't care."
She laughed lightly before turning in his arms. She looked up at him with a smile as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She leaned up to wrap her arms around his neck as he leaned down to kiss her. It was brief; she pulled away after a few seconds.
"Are the boys still sleeping?"
"Angus is taking care of them. He's feeding Josh and changing John's diaper," he said with a smile.
"You are such a smart ass."
She kissed him, letting her body fall against his. One of the boys let out a shrill wail and Bella pulled away.
"Apparently Angus isn't doing his job," she said as she headed up the stairs.
"He's fired," he said as he followed her.
Bella picked up John and took him to the changing table. She grabbed a fresh diaper and the wipes while undoing his pajamas. He quieted down once she started talking to him. He stared at her with his usual wide eyed look that let her know that all of his attention was on her. Jacob handed her an outfit so that she could get him dressed for the day.
"Alright little man, let's see how long you can keep this outfit clean. Maybe an entire day this time, huh?" she said picking him up.
John had a major problem with keeping his food down when he burped. A quarter of what he ate either ended up on him, Bella, or Jacob. The doctor said that it was normal, that not all babies digested their food at the same rate. He was on special formula while Josh was still being breast fed.
Jacob took him downstairs to feed him while Bella got in the shower. As she was getting out of the shower she heard Jacob in the boy's room. Josh had woken up and Jacob was in the process of trying to get him dressed. If there was one thing Josh hated more than loud noise, it was being naked. John had gotten over it pretty fast, but Josh still screamed bloody murder. John watched what was going on from his swing.
"Let me do it," she said.
"I've got it. I'm almost done."
She went into their room to get dressed while Jacob finished. He brought the boys in and Bella held Josh while John lay on the bed next to her.
"You need to start getting ready. We have to be at the airport by one," she said as Josh latched onto her breast.
"I'm getting in the shower now," he said grabbing some clothes.
"Come here for a second," she said beckoning him with a finger.
He sat on the edge of the bed in front of her. She leaned over, bringing Josh with her. She kissed him, letting her weight fall on her free arm. He moaned against her lips, letting her slip her tongue past his lips. She sighed as Jacob's fingers brushed over her breast.
Josh finished and made his presence known. Bella pulled away reluctantly. Jacob gave her a sympathetic look before getting off the bed. The shower started a few seconds later as Bella put Josh on her shoulder. She bounced him as she rubbed his back. John kicked up a storm as Bella tried to get his older brother to burp.
"Come on buddy," she urged.
She patted his back for a good minute before he burped. A little spit up came up and Bella used the burp rag to clean his chin. Jacob turned off the shower as Bella finished getting ready.
She had both boys downstairs when Jacob came down ten minutes later. The boys were in their bouncy seats while Bella made breakfast. Jacob sat with the boys; paying equal attention to both while Bella finished the French toast.
She sat a plate in front of him before fixing herself a plate. She sat next to him with their elbows touching.
"It's hard to believe they're three weeks old."
"Pretty soon they'll be potty trained. That happens at what? Two months?" he joked.
Bella laughed as she nudged him. Joking aside, she hoped that time wouldn't fly by. She wanted to take everything in. He looked over at her giving her a lazy smile. She kissed his cheek before she started eating.
She was glad that her mom was coming in for the weekend. The extra set of hands would be a great help. Plus, she would have time alone with Jacob. Her mom had already talked them into going out on a date and she wasn't even there yet.
XXXX
Renee all but ran through the crowd.
"It's the first time I'm seeing my grandbabies, hurry up man!" she said to a guy who was talking on his cell phone.
Bella hid her face in her hands to keep from laughing while Jacob laughed so hard that his whole body shook. The guy on the phone gave Renee a snobbish look as he moved to let her pass.
"There they are!" she said from a few feet away.
The boys were asleep in the stroller as she looked down at them lovingly. She looked from Bella to Jacob next.
"Have they tired you out yet?"
"No," Bella said with a shrug.
"Not really," Jacob said mimicking Bella.
"That's because the two of you are still young. You were smart to have them early. By the time you're ready to have more you'll want these two to help out."
"Maybe," Bella said with a sigh.
"They really are gorgeous," Renee said as she looked down at the boys endearingly.
"Are you sure that you can't stay any longer?"
"Phil's in the championships. I promised him that I would be home on Monday. I'm coming back in September. You'll have me for an entire month then. You'll be begging me to go home."
"No I won't," Bella said with a shake of her head.
"I'll miss you too baby."
When they got home the boys woke up simultaneously, that was something that had never happened before. Bella attended to Josh while Jacob checked on John. He gagged when he found out why John was crying. Josh was soothed in seconds once Bella put his pacifier in his mouth.
Jacob gave her a pleading look as she stifled a laugh. He had gotten better about changing diapers. But even Bella could smell John, and she had never smelt anything that bad.
"Oh boy, I can take him upstairs and get him changed," Renee said as she held out her arms so that she could take the baby.
"Thank you," Jacob said with a grateful smile.
He sat down next to Bella with a sigh.
"You're lucky she's here."
"You were going to make me change him," he accused.
"I have Josh."
"You smelt him and grabbed Josh so I would have to change him didn't you?" he asked in accusation.
"You're being ridicules," she said with a laugh.
"Am I?"
"I didn't smell anything when I went to pick Josh up."
"I don't see how."
"I would have traded with you if my mom wasn't here," she said sincerely.
He looked over at her with a credulous look. Josh had fallen back to sleep and she put him on the couch next to her. She put a pillow beside him to keep him from falling off the couch. He sighed in his sleep as his lips puckered.
Bella ran a finger lightly down his chin with a smile. Jacob pulled her to him and she laid her head on his shoulder.
"Did he fall back to sleep?" Renee asked as she carried John in.
"Yeah," Jacob said without looking away from Bella.
"How often do the two of you get a break?"
"You're the first person to take over."
"You're kidding. No one has offered to watch them so you can go out?"
"They're only three weeks old mom," Bella said with a shrug.
"Well for the entire time that I am here you two are off duty."
"We can't ask you to do that," Bella protested.
"Yes we can," Jacob interjected.
"I'm offering Bella. You'd be crazy to turn me down."
"We're not turning you down," Jacob said as he stood.
He held out a hand to Bella and she took it, giving him an unsure look. They were in their room before she said anything.
"We can't make her watch them all weekend," Bella said.
"She offered. It's her grandmotherly right. We need time to ourselves, and the boys need to get used to other people watching them. We have to start it early, or it will take forever for them to adjust."
"You're right," she said with a nod.
"Now, what do you want to do today?"
"We haven't gone out on a date in a while."
"We can do that, but you can't call your mom every fifteen minutes, and when I say that it's time to leave you can't procrastinate."
"I won't."
"You won't what?" he asked as he quirked an eyebrow.
"I won't call my mom, and when you're ready to leave I won't put up a fight. At least let me write down some instructions for her."
"She's a mom Bells, she knows what's she's doing," he said with a laugh.
"But Josh has a special way that he likes to be put to sleep. And John won't go to sleep without his giraffe. She needs to know."
"I'll take care of it."
Bella gave him a helpless look before sighing in defeat.
"It's going to be fine. Be ready to leave in half an hour."
"Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise."
"Is what I'm wearing okay?"
He looked her over, taking in her tank top and shorts.
"Your top is fine, but you'll need a jacket, and wear pants," he said before walking out of the room.
Bella changed into a pair of pants and grabbed a light jacket before going back downstairs.
"Your mom needs your phone. We have to keep in touch with her." Jacob said as she walked into the kitchen.
"I always forget at least one thing," Renee said sheepishly.
"It's on the counter."
Renee fed John at the table while Bella grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
"He's a hungry fella, isn't he?"
"He's happiest when he's eating. Like someone else we know," she teased.
"Ha, ha," Jacob said from the counter.
Renee laughed before continuing to talk affectionately to the baby. Bella watched Jacob, wondering what he was doing. He had something in the sink and he was scrubbing it clean. She got closer, realizing it was his motorcycle helmet.
"I let Leah borrow it a few weeks ago. Clay had gotten stuck in a mud hole."
"You haven't used it since then?" Renee asked.
"No, I usually drive the Rabbit, or Bella's car."
"We're taking the bike?" Bella asked excitedly.
"I thought you might like that idea. Can you get me a towel?"
Bella handed him a towel before hopping onto the counter. Renee watched them as she burped John. She had never seen Bella so happy, or let her guard down long enough to let someone in. She didn't like that it had happened when Bella was so young, but there was nothing that could be done about it now. Jacob was a good kid; he would be a great man.
"Are you ready to go?" he asked once he finished drying the helmet.
"Sure."
He helped her down before grabbing his wallet from off of the table. Bella traced a finger down John's arm. He lifted his head to look at her. He gave her a smile before laying his head back on Renee's shoulder.
"Thank you for watching them."
"No thanks needed. This is what grandma's do," she said patting Bella's arm.
"We shouldn't be back late," Jacob said.
"Stay away all weekend if you want. I can handle them."
"We know," Bella said as Jacob pulled her out of the room.
Outside the sun was out in full force. There wasn't a cloud in the sky as Bella put the helmet on. She got on the bike and leaned back, basking in the sun. It was warm, too warm for a jacket.
"Why do I need a jacket?"
"That's for later."
"Hold on," she said taking the jacket off.
She tied it around her waist before Jacob climbed on. She wrapped her arms around him loosely before leaning against him. He squeezed her arms before starting the bike. They sped down the narrow gravel road leading to the highway with her hair flying behind her.
There were very few cars on the road as they headed towards Forks. The bike stopped on the side of the road and Jacob got off.
"Are we out of gas?"
"Nope, come on."
He held out a hand for the helmet once she had taken it off. He put it in the backpack he had put on her before taking off into the woods.
"Jake?" she asked, still unsure of what he was doing.
"Trust me," he called over his shoulder.
She adjusted the straps of the bag before following him. It was considerably cooler in the forest since there wasn't much room for the sun to peek through. The higher they climbed, the colder it got.
"Hold on," Bella said after they had been walking for half an hour.
Jacob looked over his shoulder to see what was wrong. She was taking off the backpack and untying the jacket from around her waist. She shouldered the backpack again before climbing the incline.
"Where are we going?" she asked breathlessly.
"We're almost there," he said taking hold of her hand.
The tress thinned out and all she could see were mountains all around them. She racked her brain, trying to remember if she had been here before. Jacob turned to face her and then turned her to face him. He took her hands, squeezing them gently. She took a second look around wondering why it was so familiar.
"Let me refresh your memory," he said before leaning down.
He cupped her face in his hands as he kissed her. Memories flashed through her mind of the battle, the night in the tent, and finally the kiss they had shared on this mountain. She put everything she had into the kiss. She gripped his arms tightly, not wanting it to end. He chuckled before pulling away.
"I'm so sorry. I'll never forget this place again," she said in a quiet voice.
"Where are we?" he asked.
"We're where I finally stopped fighting the fact that I love you; the place where everything changed for the better."
"You're right," he said with a smile.
She smiled before hugging him. He hugged her tightly.
"It was exactly one year ago today," she said just above a whisper.
"I can't believe it's been a year already."
"Happy Anniversary," she said looking up at him.
"Happy Anniversary," he said with an easy smile.
"I didn't get you anything."
"We've had a lot on our minds."
"I promise that I won't forget next year."
"We'll be married this time next year. You had better not forget that," he teased.
"You either," she said in a threatening voice.
He gave her a pointed look before smiling down at her. She leaned up to kiss him as wind blew around them. He smoothed her hair down before his tongue passed her lips. She sighed against his lips before pulling away.
"Thank you."
"For what?" he asked with furrowed eyebrows.
"Everything, the past year, for giving me two of the most precious gifts that anyone has ever given me. For loving me, for being there when I needed you…I could go on."
"I should be thanking you."
"Why?"
"You put up with my mood swings; you didn't know what you were getting into when we got together. Thank you for standing by me."
"You're welcome," she said giving him a lazy smile.
"You're welcome too," he said before brushing his lips to hers.
They sat on a log looking out over the horizon for over an hour. They talked about anything they could think of, except the boys. The past year had flown by without either of them realizing it. They'd had so much going on that they hadn't had any time for themselves. They were going to work on that.
