Rating/Warning(s)/Note(s): T, Shadows
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Prompt: Bake, flake, stake

The only people who were disappointed when I stopped working so hard were my professors. Jasper was particularly relieved. It seemed I was difficult to live with when I was obsessed. The people who appreciated my change of heart the most were Jacob and Marta, especially since I replaced the obsession of studying with baking.

"You know the best part of you cooking all the time?" Jacob said one day around a mouthful of cake.

"That I get to watch you talk with your mouth full?" I asked, disgusted with the mess he was making. I was glad I thought to bring the cookies to them instead of inviting them over.

"Geez, Jake," Marta complained, reaching for a dishrag to wipe up. "Swallow first."

He rolled his eyes at her before getting up to grab a carton of milk from their fridge. Marta shook her head with an indulgent smile as he chugged it down while Edward snickered next to me, no doubt reading their thoughts.

Jacob put the carton down and took the proffered napkin from Marta before speaking again. "No, smart aleck, vampires don't like the smell of baked goods. It's driving all the babysitters away." His grin split his face. "So not only do I get the odor your cookies, the only leeches I have to smell are the Cullens."

"Like you're such a picnic," Edward teased. "I'd take the smell of food over wet dog any day."

"You don't like the smell of baking?" I asked Edward, turning to him with a look that was halfway between concerned and accusing. He'd told me that he thought things smelled nice.

He gave a shrug. "I'm used to it, seeing as I have a few humans around who eat every day, so it doesn't really bother me. The smell of the cooking sugar isn't very nice, but it's mixed with you."

Jacob made retching sounds as he pretended to gag himself. "Please you two, I'm trying to eat sugar. I don't want to hear it."

"Like you and Marta are any better?" Edward asked. "Or should I not share what you'd like to do with some of these cookies."

"You're just jealous you can't," Jacob retorted, looking smug.

Marta reached over and took my hand, pulling me from the kitchen. "Come on, let's leave the boys to their pissing contest." A secretive smile came across her face. "I have some news to share."

"What?" I asked, following her to the seating area, purposefully ignoring where the guys' conversation was heading.

She waited until we were relaxing on the couches before she leaned over to whisper. "I'm pregnant." My jaw dropped open and my gaze swung around until it caught Edward's. He was smiling, so I knew he already knew. Darn vampire hearing, probably picked up on the heartbeat. "I didn't want you to be the last to know, but since we live with vampires I knew I couldn't keep it from any of them. Alice was the first to ask me if I was, because she heard the heartbeat. I didn't even know then!"

I watched Edward walk toward me, concern on his face. "Bella?" he asked, pulling me from my surprise.

"Wow," I said, turning back to Marta, feeling badly when I saw she looked worried. "That's so unexpected!" I took in a deep breath and moved so I could give her a hug as it sunk in. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Why don't I feel like you're happy?" she asked quietly, hugging me back.

"Because I'm a flake, and shocked, and have only been thinking of myself," I said as I sat back, taking her hand. "I've been so focused on the immediate future, graduating and losing my dad, that I haven't thought much beyond that."

"Not even about the babysitters hanging around the homestead?" Jacob asked, circling one hand his head.

"No, not even them. They've been around so long now that they're like background noise, or trees. You know it's there, but you don't see them." They all nodded at me in understanding.

I could feel the idea of a little Jacob or Marta sink in, my face breaking out in the hugest grin at the thought. "You're going to have a baby," I said, warmth flowing through me. Finally something really happy, and relatively stress-free, was happening in my life. "When are you due? Are you sick at all? What about school? Will you be able to graduate with me?"

Marta laughed, waving a hand at me. "Hang on, Bella, one question at a time." We both started giggling as our combined joy over what was coming flowed between us. "I'm due in May, so I'll be as big as a house, but I'll be able to graduate if I don't have any complications. I'm only sick in the mornings, but if I nibble on something before I get out of bed I'm fine."

"We do have one thing to ask both of you," Jacob said. Edward gasped, the look of surprise on his face, replaced quickly by a pleased smile, making me anticipate his request. "We want you to be the baby's godparents."

Edward nodded immediately and reached out his hand to Jacob. "Um, Jacob, isn't there a problem with that?" I asked.

"What?"

"First, we aren't Catholic. Second, what will the father say about a vampire in the church?"

Glances were exchanged as we thought about it. First Jacob, and immediately after, Edward, began to snicker. "We'll just put a stake through his heart and a crucifix around his neck, and have him baptize Edward first."

There have been times where I've gotten so busy with my own life I've ignored the important things in other's lives. I'm trying not to do that...