AN – I do not own any of the characters o Twilight. They belong to Stephanie Meyers.

Ch 24

Third Person POV

Lunch brought a full house of people at Emily and Sam's due to the pack meeting just prior. Everyone piled in to the living room with plates in hand and the conversation rolled. Embry was teasing Seth. Paul and Jared were arguing over an upcoming basketball game. The girls were quietly talking, ignoring the antics of the guys. No one made a comment as Tia entered the living room, but it was a completely different story with Quil. Both Jared and Embry laid into him the second his foot hit the last step. "Hey lover boy!" and howling, they grinned knowing what he and Tia had been doing upstairs. Quil growled softly but knew that he had done the exact same to them at some point so he couldn't hold a grudge. He smirked as he walked through the living room towards the kitchen.

Sam had Emily on his lap as they ate, seemingly oblivious to the noise and activity around them. His hand was possessively wrapped around her waist, caressing her side. Tia noticed that they were locked in their own little bubble of happiness. She didn't want to see anything take that away from them. When Quil walked up behind her placing a hand on her waist, she looked up at him and whispered into his ear. "I have an idea." She shared her idea with him quietly as they fixed their plates. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and replied. "That would be awesome!"

After everyone had settled into their meal, Sam decided it was time. "Given that there are precious few moments of actual quiet with you guys, I think now is the time to tell you all some good news." Heads turned and chewing slowed down as they watched their Alpha. "I received some wonderful news today from my beloved." He kissed her on the end of the nose as she smiled widely. "We are expecting a baby!"

A cheer flew into the air. Arms wrapped them in tight, happy hugs. Both Emily and Sam laughed and smiled some more. Everyone was excited to soon see the newest member of the pack.

When Tia found another moment of relative calm, she spoke up. "Ok, after lunch is over, we need to make sure that the kitchen is left spotless. Emily and Sam deserve a break from their usual responsibilities so this evening, Quil and I are hosting a movie night at our place so that Em and Sam can enjoy some peace and quiet, which will be a rare moment for them all too soon. You all can start showing up after 7 tonight. Bring a DVD and some snacks." Plans for movie night were finalized and Quil led the clean up as he had been ordered.

QPOV

Walking back to the cabin from Sam's was nice. The snow covered the ground and trees in a blanket of white and there was still a light breeze that would kick up now and then. Hand in hand as we made our way home, Tia and I discussed what changes needed to be made to the cabin, how we wanted to rearrange some of the furniture but most importantly, how to say thank you to Emily and Uma for keeping us fed for the past couple of months.

"I have patrol starting at 2 pm this afternoon. Do you want me to have someone to come over to stay with you while I'm gone?" I ask her as we walk up the steps to the cabin.

"No, I think I'll be fine Quil. I'm just going to tidy up a bit and do some laundry. I'll probably take a nap too." She replied with a smile as she made a mental list of the things that needed to be done. Thankfully, the list was short because she really wanted some down time.

After walking into the house and taking off our jackets, I pull Tia into my arms. "Are you sure that you're comfortable living here with me Tia? I'd understand completely if you wanted to move back to Uma's for a while." I didn't want her to move back to her grandmother's but I did want to be sure that this was something that she wanted too.

She was pensive for a minute as she truly considered her feelings. "If you had asked me this question a couple of months ago, I would have said No but now, I couldn't imagine being anywhere else but by your side Quil."

I pick her up and swing her in a circle. "You've made me a very happy man Tia. I love you." She giggles as I put her back on her feet. I give her a quick kiss. "Let's see how much of the cabin we can get cleaned before I leave for my patrol. I'd rather you spend more of the time while I'm gone resting. Tonight is going to be noisy and long. It can be really hard to get Seth to stop watching tv and Jare can be just as bad."

We spent the next hour working around the house. It felt so good to know that if we didn't get all of the work done, then no one could give us grief. This is our place. We could leave dirty socks or towels on the floor without being nagged by a parent. It turns out that Tia is a bit obsessive about keeping the house tidy which is ok by me. I don't really care for clutter.

As I prepared to head out, Tia made herself a cup of tea and picked up her favorite book. I built up the fire and tucked a blanket around her on the couch. I built up the fire in the fire place to make sure that she stayed warm enough."Rest up. Today has to have been tiring for you. It was your first day being truly active." I kiss her on the top of her head as she digs into her book. Walking out the door, I sigh in happiness.

TPOV

As soon as Quil was out of sight, I put my book down on my lap and lean my head back on the couch in exhaustion. I didn't want to tell Quil that I felt completely wiped out. I don't want to worry him now that I've been doing so much better. However, I have no energy today. I have three hours in which to catch a quick nap and I intend to do just that. A half hour of shut eye would work wonders and I would still leave me with some alone time before the pack came over. Without much effort, my eyelids start to close and I slide into a deep slumber.

The next thing I know, I feel something tickling my nose. I reach up to swat it away thinking that it was a fly but then the nuisance laughed in a rich, husky voice. I opened my sleepy eyes to see Quil on his knees by my side. He had been using my own hair to tickle my nose. I playfully swatted him as I sat up.

"Did you enjoy your nap?" He asked as he helped me stand, pulling me into his arms.

"I did." I snuggle into his chest. Looking at the clock by the fireplace, I realize that I had slept the entire three hours. I still felt like I could have slept longer but I keep that to myself.

I fixed dinner while Quil grabbed a shower before everyone came over for movie night. I set the table and made our drinks, thinking about my future with him. How long should we wait until we get married? Will waiting change my mind? What do I want in my life? Do I want kids? What about college? My mind was racing with all of the possibilities when Quil walked back into the kitchen. Leaning against the counter, I took a moment to look at him. He's tall, handsome, and strong. He had already shown me that he had a great capacity to protect. He is also very kind, caring and gentle. I did not doubt for a second his love for me and my love for him was just as deep. Life had thrown some hard realities at us and we had both handled them well. I believe that we can make it as a married couple since we've made it this far in life.

Noticing that I was watching him closely, he approached me with a wary eye. "What are you thinking love?" he asked as he stopped right in front of me. He put his hands on either side of the counter behind me, effectively pinning me to the spot as he waited for the answer to his question. With a sly smile, he begins to nibble on my shoulder, distracting me to the point that I forget about answering him. "Hey, do I get to know what is going through your head of yours?" he asks in a whisper as he continues kissing me along the collar bone and up my neck.

Trying to collect my thoughts through his kisses, I sigh and bring my arms up around his neck. He pulls away from me slightly as I say "I was thinking about getting married."

He gazes into my eyes, leaning his forehead on mine. "And…"

I run one hand up his neck and into his wet hair. "I think…" I paused trying to find the words. "…that I would like to marry you after we both finish high school but I feel very strongly about us both going to college."

His eyes light up in happiness. "Really? You want to get married?" He picks me up in a bear hug, burying his face in my shoulder. "I love you so much Tia. I promise that we will have a wonderful life together." He says sincerely.

"I know we will, but you need to understand that I am completely serious about us finishing our education. Don't you even think about asking me until we do."

"Ok, I promise." He whispers as he leans in for a kiss. The passion in our kiss was electric as our lips met. I felt as if I could never get enough of him as I deepened our kiss in my need to feel even closer to him. He moaned and I melted into him. I couldn't imagine ever feeling this way with anyone else.

Third Person POV

Just before 7 pm, the pack descends on the cabin. What was a usually quiet, calm atmosphere became loud, boisterous and energetic. Jared brought a couple of action adventure flicks and Paul chose horror movies. Seth had a comedy. Quil added wood to the fire in the fire place and Tia made sure that the eating arrangements were sorted out. The snacks covered the table and the kitchen counters. The amount of snack foods was mind boggling but would hopefully be enough. In the living room, every conceivable inch of seating and floor space was covered in sprawling teens. Quil's favorite recliner was declared off limits to anyone but him and Tia. Kim was already curled up on Jared's left on the sofa next to the recliner. The girls chose the first movie of the night, The Hangover. They could save the horror movie for later that night.

Leah and Jake took the patrol for the first half of the evening so that they would still get to enjoy some quality time with the pack. Seth and Paul were the next out so they took their leisure time seriously. They both claimed prime spots on the floor and were the first in line to load up a plate with snacks.

Not even 15 minutes into the first movie, Tia had fallen asleep in Quil's arms with her head snuggled into his neck. Jared gave Quil a concerned look but Quil whispered in a low voice. "I think she overdid things today with it being her first time adventuring out of the cabin. I knew I should have just driven to Sam's." Jared nods in understanding and goes back to watching the movie. Quil decided that he would sit right where he was with Tia in his arms, even if it meant that he didn't move out of his spot until sunrise. He loved the closeness and feeling her breath on his neck caused all sorts of delicious thoughts in his mind. He rubbed her back and played with her hair while watching the movie.

After the first movie ended, several people stood up to stretch and others headed back into the snacks for refills. Feeling the flutter of eyelashes on his neck, Quil notices that Tia had just woken. "Do you want something to eat?" he asked quietly, intending to get her whatever she wanted. She nods. "Yeah, but I'll get it. I need to go to the bathroom anyway." She stood to walk into the other room. She notices that she has some aches and pains as she stood but she decided it had to be from sleeping on Quil's lap. However, for all that she had just slept for an hour and a half; she was still tired.

Watching her walk out of the room, Quil gets up to stretch his legs and a bit of fresh air by walking out onto the back porch for a few minutes. Jared and Embry join him. Quil watches the woods thinking about the impending meeting with the Cullens. When Jared walks up beside him, he asks "What do you think the leeches want to talk about in this meeting?"

Jared thinks for a moment. "I'm pretty sure that it has something to do with Victoria and possibly Edward, but I can't figure out how he could be involved with her, given that he killed Victoria's mate."

From the tree line, they see Jacob and Leah walking towards the cabin. Jacob had been uneasy ever since Tia had mentioned the meeting with the Cullens. After he steps up onto the back deck, he growls "I don't care what they have to say as long as they go the hell away. I don't want them near Bella, especially not Edward." He didn't care for the Cullens at all. It didn't matter that they were "vegetarians". They didn't deserve to exist as far as he was concerned, especially given everything that happened to Bella thanks to them. All of them nodded in agreement. It was no great secret that every one of the pack members would take great joy in ripping apart Edward Cullen.

As the third movie of the night started rolling its end credits, Quil decided it was time to call it a night. Tia had fallen asleep almost as soon as she had finished her snack. She was so tired that she barely even moved while on his lap. He shooed everyone out of the cabin saying that there would be another movie night next week at the same time, but right now, Tia needed her rest.

Quil carried the sleeping Tia to the bedroom and put her to bed. Jared and Kim stayed behind after everyone else had left to help with the last of the clean up. While Kim finished up washing the few dirty dishes, Jared and Quil walked out the back door to deposit the trash in the bins when they heard the howl. Something was going down. Jared glanced at Quil and he nodded at Jared. In a flash, Jared phased to find out what had happened. After a few minutes, he returned to the back porch.

Jared's face was tight with anxiety. "Paul and Seth caught the scent of a leech on the north end of the Res. They chased it but it got away. Seth did say that he got a good enough look at it to tell that it wasn't Victoria. Paul also said that this particular leech was really fast. Between this and Tia's dream, Sam is going to have us pulling double patrols and practicing even harder this next week."

True to Jared's word, Sam did just that. The next day, he increased patrols and their practice sessions became brutal. Sam's theory was that it was better to over-prepare than be caught unaware. He pushed all of them to their limits but not to the point of exhaustion. Quil came home every night barely able to keep his eyes open long enough to give Tia a kiss. Knowing that Quil was worn out, Tia didn't complain at all. She was all too willing to crawl in bed beside him. Her exhaustion hadn't gone away and her joints were still achy which was starting to worry her.

As the week wore on and the snow melted, the girls all spent their days together, cooking, preparing for the arrival of Sam Jr. or watching movies. They had to do something because allowing themselves to dwell on what was happening would only make them panic in fear. One afternoon while at Tia's, Emily and Bella were looking at some cribs online as Tia fixed them all a cup of tea. Sitting back down at the table, Tia pulled one of her knees up on her chair and placed her chin on it, sighing and losing herself in thought.

Emily watches her closely for a moment before asking. "What are you thinking so hard about T?"

Blinking, she replied. "Getting married… I know that Quil and I want to but I'm kind of worried that our relationship will change when we do." She sighed.

"Well, your relationship will change. All relationships change as we mature so as I see it, the imprint is a blessing. It helps us stay focused on our mate and their needs which is what so many "normal" people have problems with over time." Emily paused. "You don't feel rushed in getting married, do you?

"Oh no, I pretty much laid down the law with Quil. I told him not to even bother to ask me until we had both finished high school, but now that I think about it; our graduation is coming sooner than I had thought with the online school. He'll finish by the end of this month and I could easily finish by May." Laughing at herself, she adds "I guess this is a bit of really early pre-wedding jitters."

"Oh, I know all about those." Emily laughs. "I have had several days of those with my own wedding day approaching. She lays a hand on her belly that was just starting to show her pregnancy.

Bella smiles happily "Only a month away! I know that I'm excited about your wedding. I've never seen a tribal wedding but if it's anything like any other ceremony within this group, it will be amazing." Tia nods in agreement.

The three women share a knowing smile, when Bella's phone rings. Reaching into her purse for her phone, her mouth drops into a frown as she looks at the number flashing on its screen. "Hello."Bella answered.

"Bella! I'm so glad to hear your voice. I haven't been able to see you in quite some time." The voice on the other end tinkled like a bell.

Bella's frown turned into a look of frustration. "Well, I'm not surprised that you haven't Alice. Really, you and your family left me and you expect to still be able to see into my future like always?" She stood up to start pacing. "Did it ever occur to you that you don't need to see my life anymore? You all left me and I've moved on with my life."

Duly chastised, she replied. "Of course, but I care about not being able to see your future Bella." Sighing, she added "You know that I consider you my best friend."

"Humph, if I were your best friend as you say, then you should have at least told me goodbye before you moved away. Instead, I had to live with the facts that Edward had given me. I didn't belong with you all. I was nothing but a puny human whose life would end very soon." Bella's voice rose in anger. "What do you really want? Surely, you have another reason for this call other than to upset me." Bella heard voices in background on Alice's side. She heard Jasper's calm voice with his Texan drawl, speaking to Alice in hushed tones.

"Ok, Bella, I had a vision of you being attacked by Victoria and the reason that I called is that she has help this time. You're going to need our help when she comes after you."

Shaking at this news, Bella's eyes filled with fresh tears. It was as if she could never live a normal life. She had just found happiness and stability with Jacob, but Alice was throwing her back into the whirlwind of supernatural chaos that surrounded her when she was with Ed…with him.

"Alice, I can't speak for the pack regarding your offer of help. I can talk to Sam though. He could call you afterwards if you want. He could set up a meeting with your family if he decides that this is in the best interest of all involved."

"Of course, he may call me. Carlisle truly wants to be of assistance. We all feel badly about everything that happened with you. Please believe me when I say that we were completely unaware of what Edward had done until we had already moved away. We are all very sorry Bella and just want to make amends."

"Thank you Alice. I'll talk to Sam in just a minute and you should hear from him soon." She ended the call and her cell phone dropped to the floor as she sat back down and her shaking increased. She covered her face with her hands and tears were flowing down her face.

Emily and Tia sat on either side of her, wrapping their arms around her. "Shhhh…tell us what happened." Emily asked.

"That was Alice. She said that Victoria is indeed after me again but this time, she has help the likes of which the pack has never encountered. Her family is offering their aid in the upcoming confrontation with her." Bella wiped the tears from her face. "I need to talk to Sam."

Emily pulled out her phone to text her fiancé. She could have Sam come up to the cabin to talk to Bella. Given her distraught state, it was best that they not go looking for him themselves. The boys would have a hard time controlling themselves when they saw how upset Bella was at this moment. Shortly after sending the message, her phone buzzed again with is reply.

"Sam will be here in about 20 minutes." Emily hugged Bella tightly. "You know that our pack will protect you." Straightening her shoulders, Bella gave a small smile. "I know."

Tia stands with her mug in hand. "Does anyone want any more coffee or tea?"

Both Emily and Bella shook their head. "I'm only allowing myself one cup a day as it is. Thanks though." Emily answered.

As Tia turns from the table, she staggers and places her hand at her forehead. Emily jumps up "Tia?!"

Tia managed to make it to the counter and set her cup down. Realizing that her stubbornness in not mentioning that she hadn't been feeling well had caught up with her, she said "I think I'm getting sick."

"Do you want me to call Quil?" Bella asked concerned.

"No, I think this is just a bad cold or maybe the flu. Emily, could you call Uma for me? She would come take care of me. The boys are too busy at the moment and you don't need to be around me if I am sick. I'm going to take some cold meds and get in bed."

"Of course, I'll call her." She replied with worry written on her face.

Tia waved goodbye to her friends as she walked into the bedroom. Heading straight for the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, she finds and the cold medicine. Crawling into bed, exhaustion claims her again. Not more than 15 minutes later, she feels Uma's cool hands on her forehead, waking her from a nap.

"So you think this is the flu granddaughter?" she asks as she tucks the blankets in tighter around her.

Nodding to answer Uma, she replies. "I do. I've been so tired and achy."

"You have a fever too. You did well by sending Emily along. She doesn't need to be sick while expecting." She smiles down at Tia. "Let me go make you some soup. How about a cup of my sleepy time tea?" Tia nods and watches Uma head off towards the kitchen. As much as she hated being sick and dependent, there was no one who could make you feel better than her Uma.