Chapter 54

Leah's P.o.V.

"Damn, we look terrible."

"I know, right?"

"...This is the third time I've died in my life. And then revived."

"Whoop-de-freaking-doo, you should give yourself a gold medal."

"Well, I don't think that anyone else has done it, now do you?"

"No one else is a mythological werewolf, Baby Bro."

"Oh, yeah. Thanks for reminding me, Sis. You're the best."

"Welcome."

Seth and I stared at our half-dead bodies on the beds.

"You look worse than me, Seth."

"No I don't. We look the same. Both so dead looking."

"Who knew babies could be so powerful?"

"Mhm."

"Hey, I wonder if we're actually dreaming this right now. If this-" I pointed between me and him. "-is just our thoughts." Seth looked up in deep thought and then grinned.

"Only one way to find out." He looked at the closed door. "Edward..." He said creepily. "Edward." I stifled a laugh and joined him.

"Eddie...Edward!" I said in a high pitched voice, doing my best to sound ghost-like. "Edward!"

Seth looked at me and counted down on his fingers.

"EDWARD!" we yelled together. Suddenly the door banged open and Edward came in. He looked at the both of us on the beds, and Seth and I exchanged sly looks. He walked to my bed and looked at me.

"Leah? Can you hear me?" He waited a few seconds before going to Seth's bed. "Seth. If you can hear me, open your eyes." Again, he waited a few seconds before shaking his head. He left the room and closed the door behind him.

"That was awesome!" Seth punched his fist in the air. "Let's do it again! I wanna' see him go crazy!" I laughed and shook my head.

"I wanna' see everyone else."

"Okay. Open the door," Seth said. We turned to the closed door and I reached to open it. My hand slid right through the handle. I tried again. And again...And again. It kept going through.

"Stupid...Handle!" I tried with both hands before Seth stopped me. He held up his arm and then slid it through the door like he was a ghost. He turned and smirked at me. I flipped him my finger and he laughed, stepping the rest of the way through. I followed him with a small frown. "I could've done that."

"Mhm, yeah."

"Hey, if we can go through the door, then how come we're not sliding through the floor?" I asked. Hey! I made a rhyme!

"Don't question! You'll jinx it!" Seth snapped at me. I rolled my eyes and we walked downstairs. Everyone was here. The Pack all sat around in a small group, not talking. Not even eating.

Jake stroked Jayah's hair as she slept. He stared blankly ahead and Mom kept her eyes trained on the stairs.

"Can she see us?" Seth asked.

"Let me check..." I hopped around and shouted her name as loud as I could. "No. She can't see us. Or hear us for that matter."

"Jacob," someone called. My imprint's head snapped up at the sound of his name and he locked eyes with Rosalie. Seth and I turned and saw her coming in with a yellow blanket in her hands. She bounced it around, and I kept my eyes on it. Jake stood up, carefully moving Jayah. He held his arms out for the yellow bundle and Rosalie placed it to him. "She was just hungry. She's fine now." Jacob rocked it around.

"Brielle," he whispered.

Brielle...

"Hi, honey," Jacob continued. He sat down and I moved to stand behind him, wanting to catch a glimpse of my daughter. She looked so much like Jayah, it wasn't even funny. The only way I knew that it wasn't her was by her eyes. So beautiful and green. Like mine. And like Seth's. That's why her middle name was Sophia. After him.

"Oh, she's so pretty..." I found myself saying. I turned to speak to my brother but he wasn't anywhere to be seen. I took one more look at Brielle before walking around the downstairs, trying to find Seth.

"Seth...Seth!" I hissed, trying to find him. I finally saw him standing out in the backyard. I walked through the sliding glass doors, half expecting to suddenly get cold. I didn't. "Why are you out here?" I asked. "Didn't you hear me calling your name?"

"Yeah, I heard you."

"Then how come you didn't answer me?"

"Because..." He walked into the forest and I chased after him.

"Where do you think you're going?" He didn't answer me. "Seth Tyler Clearwater!"

"Shut up, Leah."

"Why? Do you hear something?"

"No. I just want you to shut up." I crossed my arms and rolled my eyes. "If you're going to come with me, hurry up." He grabbed onto my hand and started running. We ran faster. So fast, it felt like we were flying. Wait...

"Holy crap!" I squealed, seeing the ground ten feet below me. I'd always wondered what it'd feel like to fly. Now I knew. It felt great.

"C'mon, Lee," Seth said. He grinned at me and tugged on my arm, making us go faster. The wind whipped through my face and my hair and I felt free. "There she is." He pulled me to the ground and we walked through some trees and into a clearing. Seth took in a deep breath and walked towards Jazmyn. I stayed back and watched him.

He was quiet as he watched her make a snow ball and then throw it at a tree. Then she made another one and did the same thing. She did it five more times after that before falling backwards.

"How is it up there, Sethy-poo?" she asked the sky. "Warm? Is it beautiful?" Seth looked at me.

"Has she been to see me at all? She thinks I'm dead." I swallowed.

"I bet your dad was happy to see you," she continued. Seth reached for her, but pulled back.

"Jazz...Jazz!" he said, but then realized that she couldn't hear him. Jazmyn sat up and stared at Seth. But of course, she wouldn't be able to see him.

"Everywhere I look, I see you. Every song I hear, it's you. I want to be with you, Seth." Jazmyn stood up and reached into her pocket, pulling out a knife. Seth jumped up.

"We need to wake up."

"We won't get back in time!" I yelled at him.

"We have to try."

"But we've been trying for the past month!"

"Then we'll try harder. She's not going to die."

"We're not-"

"EDWARD!" Seth yelled. I watched as Jazmyn fell to the ground and stared at the knife. Her hand shook and she dropped it.

"I can't. You wouldn't want it." Seth looked relieved.

"I don't," he whispered. He looked at me, stood up, and pulled me back to the house. "We gotta' wake up."

"But we've been trying to wake up for the past month, Seth."

"No. You've been trying. I was enjoying my life as a potato. But now we got to. I gotta' show Jazz that I'm not dead." We floated into our 'hospital' room and stared at our sickly looking bodies in the bed. "...How?"

"Maybe if we, like, yell at ourselves loud enough, we'll scare ourselves awake." I cleared out my throat. "LEAH HARRIET CLEARWATER, IF YOU DON'T WAKE YOUR SORRY ASS UP RIGHT NOW, I SWEAR I WILL NOT LET MYSELF BUY ME A NEW PAIR OF SHOES FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS!" I crossed my arms and waited. "Okay, now I feel stupid."

"You sound stupid, too."

"Do you have any bright ideas, Einstein?"

"Yeah. I do. Take my hands."

"Okay." I did.

"Saw this in a movie once."

"Do you get all your ideas from movies?"

"Most of them, why?"

"That would explain a lot."

"Shut up. In all the ones I saw, this always works."

"Always?"

"Mhm."

"Okay, now I'm excited."

"I'm going to count to three, and after each number, we'll blink. Ready?"

"One thing. Seth-"

"One."

Blink.

"Seth, what if you wake up and I don't?"

"Two."

Blink.

"...What if...What if I wake up and you don't?"

"Three."

Blink.

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It didn't work. For me, at least. Seth woke up, and I was left to wander the dark caverns of my mind. I barely thought. I literally just sat here in darkness.

I tried to wake up sometimes, but it was hard. My body wouldn't cooperate with my mind.

So many minutes passed by. Hours. Days. Weeks.

Months.

I've been asleep for two months now. Or has it been three? I've lost track.

I spend most of the time using up all my energy trying to wake up. From what Jacob tells me, life has been going by really slow and quiet without me.

"Jayah's almost talking in full sentences. Her favorite one to use is 'No, Brill!'" he'd told me once. I tried to laugh, squeeze his hand which was inside his, flutter my eyes...Something, to tell him that I heard what he said. I couldn't. "...She can't say the 'elle' in Brielle's name yet. Everyone thinks it's cute, and it actually is. She loves her little sister, I can tell. Brielle's growing fast, Lee. Looks like she's five months, when in reality, she's only two and a half. They look like twins, and I find myself mixing up their names from time to time. It makes me feel like I'm forty."

He stroked my hair back but I slept on.

A few days later, he talked to me about the Pack.

"Darren and Becks are finally back from their honeymoon, Leah." I didn't have to see him to know that he was rolling his eyes. "They're tanner than before and closer. Way closer. She stops by every day to see you. She always brings by a poppy; just for you. Those are your favorite flowers, right?

"Seth's still getting used to the idea of not walking. He really tries to sometimes, but his legs always give out on him. He's determined, though, and won't give up. He wants to phase again. He wants to be able to run around with Jayah. He hates it, anyone can tell that. But he's always happy. I don't think I even remember him without a smile on his face. It reminds me of you. Leah...I want you awake and happy again. I want to see your pretty eyes again." He kissed my forehead and I thought that I was going to start crying. Of course, I didn't.

I needed to let him know that I could hear him. I needed to let him know that I was going to wake up soon, and I wouldn't stop trying until I did. It took all of my power, all of my might...My mind went blank afterwards.

I squeezed his hand.

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Jacob's P.o.V.

"Carlisle!" I skidded down the stairs, calling out the doctor vamp's name. "Carlisle!"

"Jacob," he chuckled. "What happened?"

"She squeezed my hand. It wasn't strong, but it was there. It was there," I said. I ran back up the stairs and he followed me. Nothing could overcome my happiness right now. Nothing. She was waking up. Today? Maybe. Soon? Definitely.

"Leah," he said calmly but loudly. "Leah, if you can hear me can you open your eyes?" He waited quietly a few minutes but nothing happened. He took her hand. "Can you squeeze my hand for me, Leah? Can you do that?" He waited again - longer, this time - but nothing happened. He sighed. "Jacob...She's unresponsive. Could it be...That you just imagined it?"

"No. Carlisle, I felt it. I know she did." He put a hand on my shoulder.

"Jacob, this is common in cases like this. I think that you just need some rest. Get some sleep. Eat. Drink."

"No. I'm not leaving her," I said, and planted myself in my usual chair by Leah's side. Carlisle nodded once and left, his hands in his pockets.

He didn't believe me. Why wouldn't he believe me?

"Leah...If you can hear me...Wake up soon. Please? Everyone's doubting you. Me. But you need to wake up. For Jayah. For Brielle. For me."

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It left me feeling dizzy...But accomplished. This was the first step to getting well again. Seeing my family again. Mentally, I smiled.

And then the smile vanished like the sun on a rainy day.

"...Leah if you can hear me...Wake up soon. Please? Everyone's doubting you. Me. But you need to wake up. For Jayah. For Brielle. For me."

I felt funny inside. Like the hand squeezing thing was nothing. And it was compared to what he wanted me to do. I wanted to scream and shout at him that I was trying, to just be patient. And I almost did...But then I remembered.

I'm a potato. I can't do anything.

One day. Two days. Two weeks.

Sometimes I didn't have the energy to try. And other times, I had so much energy I felt like I could explode. But even all that energy was nothing to get me to open my eyes.

Jake came to talk to me every day. I looked forward to his talks. It helped me stay strong and to keep trying.

"...Jay's birthday is coming up. Her first. Can you believe it Leah?" he breathed.

No. I couldn't. But he doesn't know that.

"I wanna' do something special for her, but it doesn't feel right. I don't know if you'll be there to see our baby turn one. She's curious about you, Lee. She looks around, as if looking for you. And she points to your picture when we're at home. I don't know what to tell her. And Brielle...She's never even met you. She's three months now, and her aging is slowing down. She's so smart. She can hold things, and she knows everyone. She likes to giggle and smile. Like her sister." He chuckled a bit at this part. "They look so much alike, it's crazy. Sometimes the Pack will call Brielle Jayah and Jayah Brielle. It's funny, but you gotta' look at their eyes to tell them apart. Brielle's eyes are green. Like yours. They're so beautiful, Leah."

I wanted to cry. But I couldn't. So I did it mentally. I cried because I couldn't wake up. What's so wrong with it? I wanted to see my family. To see my daughters. My beautiful daughters. Is that so wrong?

Jacob lifted up my hand and kissed the ring on my finger, letting it linger. Then he set it down gently and I felt a whoosh of air as he left. Don't leave me! I wanted...

Never mind.

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Seth's P.o.V.

School.

I'd never thought I'd live to see the day when I'd be back.

Wow. Months after all this crap with Brielle, and I'm here.

Forget the use of my legs. I can't use them at all. And I'd never resort to using a wheelchair. So now I have these.

They felt so weird.

The crutches wrapped around my arms and had handles so I could rest my hands there. I could use them like any regular crutches, except I didn't have the use of both my legs. I felt so handicapped. The Pack and Jazmyn and everyone I hung out with wrote their names and notes all over them in permanent black marker. Claire added her own personal artwork to some places and Jazmyn wrote 'Seth&Jazz' in almost all the other spots. It was covered from the top to the bottom in black, loopy, scratchy...All different kinds of writing. It made me feel somewhat better.

The faces on everyone at school when I finally came back was priceless.

"Have a great class," Jazmyn said with a playful eye roll. I leaned down and kissed her lips softly. She had barely left me since I'd woken up. I guess she was just a little scared that I would die again.

I crutched - is that what you call it? - myself into Algebra and the noise died down when everyone saw me. I knitted my eyebrows together and gave them a small smirk.

"Hey...?"

"What? You never seen a guy on crutches before? Turn around and go back your talking," Aecia waved her hand at everyone and they did as she said after giving me one last look. I gave her a grin of appreciation and took my seat. "Never thought I'd see you back here."

"Me neither. Only two weeks left in the school year and Mom makes me come back." I rolled my eyes. Aecia toyed with one of the crutches by my desk. She took a pen out of her bag and filled a space with her name. She drew a star-looking 'A' for the first letter and underlined it, overlapping Kim's name.

"Are you going to take Carlisle up on his offer?" she asked when she was done.

"...Dunno. California's pretty far away. I'd be gone a long time."

"Don't you want to walk again?"

"Yeah."

"Then do it. Did you talk to Jazmyn about it?"

"Yeah."

"What'd she say?"

"She said something along the lines of 'It's not my choice. I just want whatever makes you happy.'"

"Does walking make you happy?"

"What? I don't know...I guess."

"Go for it."

"But I'll be gone for...Years. Sure you won't miss me?" I smirked.

"Nah...I got Malachi to fill the void." She grinned and took out her math notebook and pencil, ready to take notes. It seemed like the two were always together now that their little imprinting secret was out. "But seriously, do it. That's stress off Sue's back, stress off yours." I grinned and nodded.

"Then I'll talk to Carlisle today."

Before I turned back around, Aecia stopped me.

"One more thing, Clearwater. Don't get all caught up in that California sunshine, got it? I don't want you orange when you get home."

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Jacob's P.o.V.

Knocking once, I walked into Sue's house.

"Hello?" I called. "Sue?"

"She's not here! It's just us!" Seth called from the kitchen. That's where I went. Jazmyn was sitting on top of the counter and Seth was leaning on the sink. Jazz had her hand on the blender and something yellowish was being mixed up inside.

"Hi, Jake," Jazmyn waved to me. "This is our third attempt of making something, eh, drinkable. Einstein over there keeps mixing up the weirdest things."

"I thought that strawberry and bacon would taste good!"

"You thought. I didn't think so," she shuddered. I chuckled and Seth turned back to me.

"What brings you by?"

"Dunno. Just checking up on you, I guess. How're you doing?"

"Fine...I hate these stupid crutches, though." He smirked and looked at the two brown crutches next to him. "It just...Feels weird, I guess." He shrugged. It was quiet for a while, only the sound of the blender filling the silence. He wanted to say something else, I could tell. But he didn't say it.

"How's Leah?" Jazmyn finally asked, turning the blender off. She got out three glasses and some straws, opening up the top. I sighed and scratched the back of my head.

"...The same."

"She's gonna' wake up soon. I can feel it," Seth said.

"I feel it, too. Everyone else's doubting her, though," I noted. Jazmyn handed me a glass and I took a sip before spitting it back into the cup. "What is this?"

"Mangoes and strawberries...?" Jazmyn knitted her eyebrows together and took a sip of it. She gagged. "Eww...What the heck? What did we put in here?" She picked up all the ingredients and read the labels. Then she picked up a clear green cylinder. "I hope this isn't..." She took a pinch and tasted it. "Salt. Sorry, Jake. I thought it was sugar. It probably wouldn't have been so bad if Sweet Tooth over here didn't like things so sweet. He put, like, seven tablespoons in there!"

"Hey, that's just how I do!"

"Whatever," Jazmyn rolled her eyes and laughed, pouring the smoothie down the sink. She took my glass and did the same. "That's three packs of strawberries and two mangoes: gone!" she exclaimed dramatically. I chuckled and rubbed my hands together.

"I'll leave you two to duke it out then."

"No! Don't leave me alone with her!" Seth laughed, clasping his hands in front of him. Jazmyn threw a mango at him and the two started throwing fruit at each other. With one last laugh, I left.

Back at the Cullen's, I sat by Leah's side again. Jayah and Brielle were napping, so I thought I'd take the two hours they were asleep to spend some time with Leah.

I don't know how long I was there, but sometime between forty and two and a half hours later, Paul came in. I huffed a breath, knowing what was about to come.

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Leah's P.o.V.

I heard Jacob sigh roughly and I knew someone else was in the room.

"Man, can you leave her alone for five seconds? She's not gonna' go anywhere," Paul said. Jacob's grip on my hand tightened.

"No," he said.

"Dude, c'mon. I wish I was Alpha right now, 'cause I'd totally use a command on you. Go."

"Well, you're out of luck 'cause I'm Alpha. So what I say goes. And I say no. I'm not leaving her."

"Aww, come on. The girls all banded together to make Jayah a pre-birthday meal. It smells great down there and I'm going to tell everyone to wait until you get down there. Now, do you really want to make me do that?"

Go, Jake. You can leave me. It's okay.

"...Sure. Just tell them that I'm not coming down tonight."

"But you need to. You haven't had a full meal in...Let's see...Add that, carry the one, square root of...FOREVER! Go downstairs. Eat. Drink some soda. Talk. Be sociable."

"But I'm not leaving her alone."

"She won't be alone."

"Paul-"

"I'll stay with her. Go. Now." It was quiet. "Em's got chocolate chips. And I know how much you love you some chocolate chips."

It was quiet again. I rephrase what I said before. No! Jacob don't leave me with Paul! No! Don't-

Jake let go of my hand after a quick kiss to my temple and muttered a quick, "Fine." I heard a pop and then an 'Oww!"

Did Paul leave after all?

No. The light on my left side just got blocked. He was sitting there, no doubt.

It was quiet and then he started humming and clicking his tongue.

Oh, please don't start singing. I'd rather-

He started singing quietly.

I tried with all my might to wake up and slap him, tell him to shut up. I still couldn't.

Suddenly he laughed. I wanted so bad to wipe that smug smirk off his face that I knew was there.

"If you were awake right now, I bet you'd try and slap me." He laughed again and sighed. "I really do miss our awesome arguments, Leah. For real."

Great. Now I'm going to have to sit through a sappy story from Paul. But...To be honest, I don't mind. His sappy stories are great.

"It's weird without you," he continued. "Real weird. Jake's become a hormonal little bitch and Jay's acting funny. She's quiet. If you ask me, I think she misses you. Everyone does. You've been gone too long. Well, not really gone. Just...Never mind.

"You know, I think Brielle looks like you. She's got eyes like yours. The pretty kind. Green like spring grass. That's the good stuff."

I can't believe that Paul's spilling out his heart and soul to me. This is only the second time in my life that he's done that.

"You probably can't hear me-" Wrong. I can, smartness. What else you gotta' say? I can't wait to use this against you. "-but I wanna' tell you anyway. Damn, I hope those creepers aren't listening. I miss you, Leah. Sure, I won't admit it to anyone else. But I miss you. I miss your sarcastic comments thrown my way and I miss the way that you'd hit me, for no apparent reason at all. Aside from the kids and Rachael, you're the next person on my mind. It's weird. You always wiggle yourself into my thoughts."

It was quiet.

I'm loving this. Blackmail central.

But what he's saying is really sweet. That's probably what Rachael sees in him. His sweet side. She's a lucky to be that special person to be able to pull that out of him.

"Okay. Enough about you. Time to talk about me." He chuckled a bit and I mentally rolled my eyes. "...I can't believe I'm sharing this with you...Leah...I love Rach a lot. A whole lot. So much, even..." He took in a breath. "I bought her a ring."

My breathing hitched a bit and I felt my heart speed up. He'd done what?

The change didn't go unnoticed by Paul.

"Leah? Leah, can you hear me?" He whistled and lifted up my hand, dropping it. It flopped onto my stomach. "Must've been my imagination..."

Keep talking! Pay no attention to the potato on the bed! I wanna' hear about Rachael. The ring! Tell me about the ring!

"But...Yeah. I'm going to ask her. But it's hard finding the right time. I want it to be...Special, y'know? For her." He was quiet again.

He's going to ask for Rachael's hand in marriage. Oh, my gosh, I could just burst!

"The kids are growing. They're crazy, but I love 'em. They remind me so much of her. Rachael, I mean. Arielle especially. She looks more and more like her mom every day. She's beautiful. And Aiden, he takes after me." I heard the smugness in his voice as he said this, and I tried not to laugh out loud. "Just like his old man." He laughed. "Aaron's his own person. Sure, he has his me spots and his Rachael spots, but he's all his own. He already has the ladies all over him. My boy's gonna' be a little player." He laughed more. "Damn, I sound stupid."

No, you don't! You're so sweet, Paul.

Jacob's better...

It was quiet for a while more and I decided to try and wake up again. Paul kept talking, going on from the Pack to me again.

"...I know Jake's probably told you this a whole crap load of times, but you gotta' wake up. You need to. It's not the same."

How many times do I gotta' say...Think this? I'm TRYING!

That's when I felt my hand twitch.

Hello? What's this?

I tried again, and it twitched some more. It moved! It was moving!

I tried the other one. It took a little time, but I got that one to move as well. I reached up and touched my face. It's still the same. Soft. Even after all the months.

"Leah...Leah!" Paul exclaimed.

Time for the eyes.

C'mon...C'mon...

I squeezed my eyes tight and then opened them slowly. They're open! Oh, beautiful sight!

I closed them again and opened them back up. I looked to my right. Flowers. Poppies.

My favorite.

When I looked around more, they were everywhere. Hanging from the ceiling...In tall vases on the floor...

I turned to my left and looked at Paul. He stared at me. Speechless. His mouth moved, but nothing came out. I sat up and stroked my hair. It was so long now. To the middle of my back.

"Paul..." I said. The word sounded weird in my mouth. I guess it's 'cause I haven't spoken in so long. "Paul?" I cocked my head. I never realized how cool speaking was. "Paul!" He didn't say anything and I straightened my face and frowned. "Paul," I said flatly. He jumped up and ran downstairs, yelling Jacob's name. "W-wait!" I didn't want to be left alone! I ripped the blankets off of me and fell out the bed with a small 'oof!' I rubbed my head and my knees and groaned, then I counted to three in my head before slowly standing up.

I wobbled and held my flailing arms out for balance.

Center of gravity, Leah. Center of gravity, I thought to myself. Taking a deep breath I put one foot slowly in front of the other, still wobbling. Then I started going faster. So fast, I was at a slow jog now. I grinned, keeping my eyes on my feet. That's when I ran into a wall. I flew backwards and landed hard. On my butt.

"Oww..." I rubbed my head again and cringed, looking straight ahead. At a pair of...Legs? Yeah. That's the word. Legs. I followed them up, up, up to a pair of hands. They were outstretched. For me. Who is this? Again, my eyes roamed up. Up, up, up to a face. He had tears in his eyes. Real tears, bros!

I cocked my head. Jacob.

"J-J-Jacob," I finally managed to say. His name left my tongue tasting sweet and delightful. I decided to say it again. "J-Jacob. Jacob." I stood up, my legs still wobbling a little. I stared into his face and grinned. "Jake. My Jake." I loved how it sounded. Speaking felt so good, I could talk forever.

He stared at me as if he was imprinting all over again. I pulled him into a hug and he kissed all over my face. Up and down my neck, my chin, my cheeks, my forehead, my nose...And then we were kissing with our lips. I've waited four months, eighteen days, three hours, six minutes, and two seconds to do that.

When I pulled away I bit my lip out of habit. He landed more small pecks on my lips and then all over my cheeks again.

"Jacob..." I whispered. He pulled me into another tight hug and kissed the top of my head, letting it linger there for a few extra seconds.

"I can't believe that Paul of all people would be the one to wake you up," he chuckled quietly. He sucked in a breath through his nose and rocked me back and forth. Back and forth. Like Daddy used to do when I was little.

He pulled away and cupped my face into his hands. He brushed a strand of hair out of my face.

"I think it's time to cut it," I joked. Talking was getting easier. I guess I just had to hear my voice a few times to get used to it.

"No. I love it like this," was his reply. He kissed my head. "I love your hair." He lifted my hand to his mouth and planted a kiss there. "I love your hands. The ones that have given me so many great backrubs after a long patrol." I smiled and he kissed the crook of my neck. "Your neck," he said into it. "Because it holds up your beautiful face. He pulled away and looked into my face. "I love your eyes. The ones that I see when I look at you, when I look at our daughter." I looked down shyly and then back up at him. He kissed both my lids. "Your beautiful long lashes." He gave me one more gaze before slowly pulling me to his face. I leaned my forehead onto his. He kissed my lips quickly once. "I love your lips." He kissed them again. "'Cause they're so soft." He kissed them again. "So pink." Another kiss. "Beautiful. Like you." He gave me a really long kiss that left me dazed when we pulled away. "I love you, Leah. And I'm happy...No, that's an understatement. I'm ecstatic to call you mine. I love you. So much."

"Me, too. So much, Jake. So much it hurts." He chuckled deep from his chest.

"It hurts, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm never spending that much time away from you again. I promise." We kissed again. Softly. Tenderly. Full of love.

"You promised."

Sealed with a kiss.

TOTALLY not the end! Review and you'll see what happens next!

~SashaFIerce12.0