Disclaimer: All the Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

Chapter 91 Patients & Patience

"Sure sure. I can stay for a bit . . . "

Jacob POV

"So, Jacob, how did you and Bella become friends?" Bree asked as soon as Bella and Edward had left.

"Our fathers were friends, well, fishing buddies. They would drag us both out on a boat to fish all day since we were 4 or 5 years old. When Bella moved in with her dad full time, a couple of years ago, we just started hanging out all the time together."

"Moved in with her father?" Bree asked as she settled back and repositioned herself slightly on her bed.

"Yea, um, her mom and dad divorced when she was a baby and her mom took her to live in Arizona. She moved back home to Forks just a couple of years ago when her mom remarried," I told her, fidgeting with my hands in my lap.

"And how did she get started riding motorcycles?" she asked, giggling as though it was a weird thing to do.

"Well, she and Edward had broken up and he had left town. She was really miserable and bored so she brought some old dirt bikes over to my house. She knew that I was a pretty good mechanic so we spent every day after school working on them, and she learned to ride. After my dad died . . . well . . . I just needed to leave, I couldn't hang around and she insisted on coming with me."

"Bella?"

"Yea."

"You and Bella?"

"No, no. It wasn't like that. Well, at least not for her. I've always just been her best friend, Bree. Edward was always the one she was in love with," I told her, not looking her in the eye.

"But you?" she asked timidly, our eyes both lifting from staring at whatever the hell was so interesting on the floor.

"I thought she was the one for me for a long time, and I tried to convince her . . . but I was wrong."

"Wrong?"

"Yea." There was this really long silence, like neither of us was able to speak because there ws something that needed to be said. I sure as hell wasn't saying anything. What was I supposed to say?

Hey Bree, I am now and forever completely in love with you and at your beck and call?

Right.

I just sat and continued to play with my fingers.

"Jacob," she called my name quietly.

"Yea?" I looked up at her, not knowing how to continue.

"Do you believe that some people are just meant to be with each other?"

"Yea, I guess I do," I said, scooting my chair closer to her.

"I do, too," she said as she took my hand in hers.

We spent the rest of the evening talking. It was only a couple of hours till normal visiting hours were over and I promised to be back in the morning as soon as they would let me in the doors. I even kissed her on the forehead before I left. She was just everything I ever thought I wanted.

I pried myself away from the outside of her door and walked downstairs to ICU. Sam was in the waiting room. Seems the night nurse wasn't about to let him sit and hold Emily's hand all night and he was pacing back and forth, wearing a path in the linoleum. Emily was stable, and there was even talk of waking her up in the morning, at least taking away all the drugs that were keeping her sedated, so that was good. There was no way Sam was leaving the hospital, so I got him to follow me out to my truck so that he could at least change into the clothes I had thee for him.

"Thanks, Jake," he said as he slipped the fresh tee shirt over his head. He didn't say a word about the vampire stench that I knew he noticed.

"You holding up alright?"

"Yea, yea. Fine. I'm just worried about Emily. She's the only thing that really matters to me, Jake."

"Yea, I got that," I told him, my hands in my pockets as I leaned against the truck in the cold night air.

"Well, I guess I better get back in there. You outta here?" he asked.

"Yea. I'll be back in the morning, though. I'm thinking about heading back to La Push by the end of the week. Thought I might ask Charlie if he wants me to pull that boat he got for Christmas home for him and maybe he and Sue would like to see some of the country on the way," I said in an offhand manner. Sam froze.

"Jake, you'd leave me here with, well, with them?" he said, his eyes narrowing and his lips becoming firm straight lines. I really wasn't sure if he was angry . . . or scared. Whatever the fuck it was it was annoying as hell for him to be this way. I don't give a damn if he only saw them as bloodsuckers and not at all as people, they had been considerate, kind and generous to both of us and he needed to get the fuck over it.

"They . . . are not the problem, Sam, and yes, you would be perfectly safe with them, as long as you don't start anything that is. If you did, well, you would kind of have it coming don't you think? I don't think I would fault the bloodsuckers for ending you about now. It is their right, you know. You broke the treaty," I reminded him.

"Anyway, I got you a room at the hotel next door," I said, pointing to it in the distance. There are fresh clothes there already for you. Sue took care of it for me. There is no telling how long Emily will be here even if everything goes well and I don't want you anywhere near the Cullen houses. I'll talk to Carlisle in the morning when I come back to see Bree, and we'll go from there," I told him as I moved to get into the driver's seat of my truck. "See you in the morning, Sam."

I handed him the key to his room and his wallet I got from Emily's stuff at the house. It had cash in it in case there was something he needed, not that I gave a fuck, but Sue had asked me to make sure. I headed towards the house, anxious to get a night's sleep for the first time in what seemed like forever. I had just gotten to the driveway of Edward and Bella's house when I realized that with Charlie here and Sue, there wouldn't be a room for me to use . . . unless they were sharing a room . . .

~oooOooo~

Carlisle POV

"Yes, dear, we miss you, too. Soon then? Alright. No. I'll be sure to tell Carlisle. Keep in touch and let us know. Alright, bye then," Esme was saying as she got off the phone.

"Who was that, Petal?"

"Carmen. She and Eleazar are thinking of coming down for a few days. Apparently the girls have gone to Europe for an extended visit and they were just thinking how long it had been since they saw us."

"They're well then?" I asked as I took off my tie and laid it and my lab coat on the chair.

"She says they're all fine, they just miss us and want to see the new house."

"Did you tell them about the baby?" I asked, not sure what I wanted her answer to be.

"No, no dear. I haven't even told them that Edward had found someone. In fact, now that I think about it, we only spoke of Edward just before Christmas when they asked we had heard from him and I told them that he was back with us, although she did ask how he was getting along."

"Yes, I called Eleazar when Edward burned his arm. I didn't explain the circumstances, I just wanted to know if he had any ideas to help it heal or if he had heard of a vampire being burned that badly before . . . and he hadn't," I told her.

"Well, that explains them asking specifically for Edward then, doesn't it. I suppose I really should have mentioned Bella, but there's no hurry. It isn't as if she or the baby are going anywhere any time soon," she said with a snicker.

"No, I suppose you're right. Edward is keeping pretty close tabs on both of them isn't he," I answered, smiling from ear to ear I'm sure. I just couldn't be happier for my son. He seemed to have gotten everything he had been wanting, and then some.

"Well, wouldn't you? Given what they've been through, I'd say our son is holding up rather well, Carlisle. He is so good with the baby," she whispered as she embraced me with a hello kiss.

"I'm anxious to see what Eleazar thinks of Masen and his abilities. He used to be in charge of finding immortals with abilities for Aro, back years ago when I lived with the Volturi. He would know the potential better than anyone, I suppose," I laughed, "Although a vampire/human child is probably not something he has ever run into before."

I started to unbutton my cuffs and roll up my sleeves, just getting a little more comfortable now that I was home. I hung my lab coat in the closet and started upstairs with my tie as Esme's voice brought me back from my thoughts.

"Where were you?" she asked, "I came home just after you dropped Bella and Edward off at the house, expecting to surprise you only to find an empty house."

"I'm sorry, Petal. I would have stopped here if I had known, I forgot something at the hospital and I just ran back there for a moment. That's all," I told her, hugging her to me. "Have you eaten?"

"No, dear, not in a few days come to think of it."

"Well then, let me go change and let's go out for a hunt, shall we?"

"Just the two of us?"

"Yes. Just the two of us."

We spent hours out in the chilly night air. The moon was shining brightly on the snow covered surfaces of the forest making it quite picturesque. We sat on a ledge rather high up after thinning the population of a small herd of deer, just enjoying the night and each other. I had been so preoccupied worrying about Bella, then Edward's arm; I had neglected my wife. That ended now, as I held her to me and continued kissing her. Though we had been together many decades, there was nothing boring about making love to my wife . . . nothing at all.

"Do you think they'll have another baby?"

"What?" I asked, way more interested in continuing the kisses along her collarbone than in talking.

"Another baby. Do you think they will actually have another one?"

"Baby?" I snapped out of the post coital haze that had engulfed me as I lay on the ledge, propping myself up on an elbow to look down at her face and understand what it was she was asking me. "Edward and Bella?"

"Yes," she said, softly stroking my cheek.

"I had no idea they were even thinking along those lines. Edward was so terrified of even trying to have the one, and Bella agreed to terminate if there was any problem. You're saying they are thinking about risking it again?"

"Well, Bella tonight was asking Edward,"

"What happened to the prudish uptight gentleman that would not allow buttons on his shirt undone?"

"He was insisting they go back upstairs . . . after they had been upstairs all day. It was the funniest thing, Carlisle. Watching our son call his wife a wench, and tell her to get upstairs!"

"Wench? Edward called her that?" I asked, cocking my head to one side in disbelief.

"He was teasing her, silly. Don't go all 1700's on me and think of it like when you were a boy."

"Still."

"Anyway," she shushed me, "he told her . . .

He grew up, got married to the woman he loved, had a son, and decided to try for a daughter."

I had to process that for a moment. Edward was openly talking about getting Bella pregnant. Edward was openly talking about sex? Having sex? Who would have ever thought.

"Really!" I exclaimed.

"That's just after you dropped them off and Bella fed Masen. It was the funniest thing, and Emmett . . ."

"I can only imagine," I chuckled, stroking down her neck and over her breast . . .

"Yes, Emmett was rolling on the floor, literally! Charlie was even laughing at them. Edward tossed her over his shoulder and then ran upstairs, not even bothering with human speed or pretense, Carlisle. I've never seen him so playful and happy, dear, ever. For a moment, he seemed like a seventeen year old boy in love."

"Well, I can't even imagine that it will be possible for them to get pregnant again. It was probably just a fluke, Esme. It isn't like Edward had a high or even a normal sperm count. He has some, obviously, but normally it would never be enough for her to get pregnant," I told her as I thought it to myself.

"I suppose they will have to go with volume then, darling," she said, trying not to laugh openly, "And I for one don't think that will be a problem. They were in their room all day today till they went into the hospital, and they weren't gone for that long till they came home, she ate dinner and fed Masen, and Edward took off with her again. I didn't even know humans could behave that intimately for long periods of time. I can't even imagine the amount of control it requires of Edward. I just cannot imagine."

She was right, of course. Bella was his singer, and though he was never far from her and was intimate with her, his throat had to burn like he swallowed hot metal and her blood had to call to him. We discussed it. He had told me that he got over it, that it was no longer a problem. Having almost lost her in that motorcycle wreck after being parted from her for the better part of a year had caused anything that could take her away from him, including her blood, to be something he avoided. Her blood, in fact, now was something of an aphrodisiac for him, by his account. I had no idea how that was possible . . . and her survive of course. I could not wait to talk to Eleazar about that as well.

"Well, it's nearly dawn, Petal, and I have to get to the hospital and check on Emily."

"How is she?"

"She's stable. Good, really . . . considering. Her medication is being stopped this morning and she should wake up. The bleeding is down and the chest tube may come out as well. If everything proceeds like I think it will, I was thinking of flying her back to Port Angeles at the end of the week. I'm assuming she will choose to go home with Sam, that is, and I think she will. I spoke with Jacob today and he has arranged for a room at one of the hotels in town near the hospital for Sam. He feels obligated to at least provide him that, since he did fly across the country to help him learn to phase."

"Yes, well I suppose he does," she said softly, then was quiet for a time. "You know, dear, this is the first time I just haven't been willing to forgive. If that dog is near me for very long, I may end him myself and do us all a favor."

"Petal!"

I would never cease to be amazed by my wife.

"I mean it, Carlisle. I have never been more serious. I'd like to rip him limb from limb and not regret even the mess I made of my clothing."

"Well, I definitely will get him on a plane then. Right now the Quileutes are somewhat inclined to grant whatever concession we may want in the treaty, given what Sam did, and I want to use that to keep the treaty intact and still have Edward change Bella. We did give our word," I reminded her.

"Yes, we did. Myself included, dear, but given his actions, I believe it's our right to end him if we choose. I understand if you want to use it for a free pass to change Bella, but unless they are willing to give us that, I want a hand in ending Sam."

"You might have to stand in line," I laughed, "I think Emmett and Jasper may be in front of you."

"I'm quite sure they will defer to their mother, Carlisle," she said about the time we reached the cabin.

I just couldn't get over Esme's having such a reaction to Sam. She genuinely wanted to end him and it was out of character for her. Having said that, I realized it was not out of character. Mama bear was completely in character . . . someone had hurt her child and she was wanting to retaliate. I remembered how adamant she had been when Edward had shut down in the meadow in Forks last spring, having returned there only to find Bella gone. She had refused to leave him. Everyone had tried for weeks to get him to move, to come inside, but she not only got him up . . . she had him feeding before she brought him back to the house with her. No, the more I thought about it, it was completely in character for her to want to end Sam. He had taken advantage of Edward and attempted to kill him and hide that he had been responsible.

Deception and treachery.

I was becoming angry myself. I had to keep remembering that Edward had accepted his apology, and it had been his right to do so. Alice greeted us as we entered the house.

"Isn't it wonderful, Carlisle!" She was bounding up and down.

"Alice?"

"Twins. I see a boy and a girl for them. The little girl has copper curls and brown eyes and Bella's face and the boy has curly brown hair and green eyes. I can't believe they are doing this again!" she squealed, as excited as I had ever seen her.

"Alice, are you sure?" Jasper asked as he came into the kitchen with us.

"Well of course I'm sure. You know how my visions work, it's just one of the possibilities, but right now it is at the top of the list and crystal clear. I've had this vision since just after we got back from Rio, but it is more vivid now."

"Have you told Edward?" Esme asked cautiously.

"I told him when we were at Universal Studios in Orlando. He was having trouble restraining himself with Bella and I showed him my vision so that he would know he was capable . . . is capable of restraint," she said, unable to stand still even though Jasper has his arms around her shoulders.

"Well, maybe his behavior this evening was the beginning of something," Esme added.

"No, she just had the baby, Petal. It will be at least 15 days before she could possibly ovulate. Medically," I explained.

"And how do you medically explain Masen?" Alice asked, with something of a smirk on her face.

"I can't. Masen was the product of vampire and human. I can predict what just human Bella's body will do now that there is no part vampire contained in her. Two weeks at the earliest, guaranteed, and I suspect they will have difficulty conceiving another child, but it is only my guess. I haven't been concerned about discussing birth control with them yet even because it is too soon after the baby's birth," I insisted.

"Well, if I had to make a bet, I'm betting on Eddie knocking her up again," Emmett chimed in as he shut the front door, "Hell, you can hear them from here even now." He paused for a minute, as if listening for sounds in the distance to back up what he was saying before smugly adding, "and I bet there is quite a bit of vampire contained in her."

Jasper and Alice were beside themselves with laughter and even Esme was snickering at that.

He was right. I could hear Edward at that moment, and he was roaring like something wild in the woods, obviously the sounds of mating occurring. I dropped my eyes to the floor and shuffled my feet, somewhat out of habit I guess when things made me uncomfortable. I had listened to Emmett and Rosalie's lovemaking as well as Jasper and Alice for decades, but somehow it was different. This was Edward. I loved all my children, but Edward was my very first and everything was just more with him.

"Rosie is downstairs at the other house. Masen has been playing with us the last hour or so. Eddie came down and got him last night and only just gave him back before heading upstairs, so at least Bella got some sleep. Rosie insisted she wanted him, so I left to see if anyone wanted to go for a hunt," Emmett said.

"Mom and I just got back, son," I told him as I looked to Alice and Jasper.

"Sure. Let's go, darlin'," Jasper suggested to Alice, "I'm all kinds of thirsty with all this going on around us."

"Yes, I know, baby. Edward's mood affects you big time and I can't say that I mind," Alice said as she went up on her tip toes to kiss his lips.

"Well, come on then, lets get this hunt over and get back home for a bit," Jasper said as he kissed the top of her head.

The three of them left together and left me laughing to myself at how different each and every one of them was, but how together we all were as a family.

"I'm going to have a shower before I go to work, care to join me?" I asked my wife.

"I thought you'd never ask," she said with a smirk that made me think that I might not get in to work as early as I had thought . . .

Rounds were good, same as usual I should say. The hospital was functioning well and I was happy with the progress of my patients, including Bree and Emily.

I rounded the corner in ICU to find Sam arguing with the nurse about staying with Emily. I knew the nurse, and knew that he wouldn't win. The shift changed in half an hour, so I sidetracked him by getting him to step into the waiting room with me and talk about her treatment. I explained that we would be discontinuing the drugs that were keeping her asleep, and that she would be waking up sometime mid day.

"Don't expect a lot from her, Sam. She's going to be disoriented and very groggy. She won't be able to speak well because her throat is swollen and sore from the tubes down it," I tried to warn him. "You should probably disregard anything she says today as well. She won't be thinking clearly, Sam, and there is no need to take her words to heart till we let her regain herself a bit, okay?" I asked him, reaching to put a hand on his shoulder as I would any of my other patients' husbands . . . but thinking better of it before I did.

"Alright, doc, and thanks. Thanks for taking care of her," he said, looking straight at me apparently so that I would know he meant it.

"Have you left here at all, Sam?" I asked.

"No, well not yet," he said, avoiding looking directly at me.

"I know Jacob got you a room, Sam. The nurses have to change shifts and give report. They're not going to let you in there for at least an hour, and I'll be right here. Go. At least take a shower and shave so that you'll look fresh for her when she wakes up," I insisted. "You don't want to look and smell like a lost pup do you?" I snickered.

He started to anger, but then chuckled instead, "Yea, yea. You're right, bloodsucker. I'll go freshen up. Just remember, I don't smell like a dog to her."

I smiled as he walked off down the corridor . . . but I was glad he was gone for awhile. I wanted to check on Emily, and I didn't want company or someone eavesdropping. His heightened sense of hearing could be inconvenient sometimes.

"Carlisle!" I heard my name called as I had turned to hand a file to the nurse at the ICU desk.

"Jacob, you're out early this morning."

"Yep. I just saw Sam heading across the parking lot and he told me you were in ICU. Is Emily doing any better?" he asked.

"Yes, yes she is. Better than I expected actually. We're waking her up today and if all goes well, I was thinking of discussing sending her back to the west coast the end of the week."

"That's great, doc. She would be able to get on a plane and everything?" he questioned.

"Well, no, no high altitudes or sitting for long periods of time. I was thinking of chartering a private plane to take her. I didn't know how long Charlie and Sue were staying, or if you would be returning to La Push for a time. All things I wanted to discuss with you," I explained,.

"Well, I was thinking of driving back so that I could pull that boat of Charlie's back for him. I hadn't asked him if he and Sue wanted to ride with me or not. Getting Sam on a plane and getting him the hell out of here would be good, but you and I also need to meet with the council and decide what's gonna happen to him. Would you be able to fly back with them and we could all meet?" he asked.

"When were you thinking of leaving?"

"Well, Bree is being released Wednesday, right?" he asked.

"Yes, she wants to get back to school and I see no reason to keep her," I told him.

"Well, after she leaves, or maybe she will let me drive her to school . . . ," he mused. "No, anyway," he said, snapping himself out of it, "after she leaves I was going to head out. I could be there by the weekend, depending on if Charlie rides with me and if he wants to stop and see shit on the way or not. I'd say I could be there by Sunday night anyway."

"Let's see how Emily does, then, and if she is even going to go home with Sam. Regardless, I'll see if it's possible to arrange, and for me to have time off. You realize, Jacob . . . I would bring someone else with me. I would not come alone."

"Sure, sure, bloodsu . . . I mean doc. We'll just have patience and see how the patients do, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan, Jacob, sounds like a plan."