Same disclaimer applies-Twilight belongs to S.M., but the idea of this story is mine.
Many thanks to my awesome betas and friends - TeamAllTwilight and m0t0b33.
Five hours have passed since they separated me from Junior.
Four hours have passed since Edward went home—at my insistence.
Victoria has become my roommate, but she's sleeping.
I can't.
I want baby boy back in my arms where he belongs.
The door of our room opens and Carlisle shuffles inside. His eyes widen when he realizes I'm awake.
"Hi," I whisper.
"Hello. Why aren't you sleeping? You must be exhausted. That baby is the biggest I've seen in my life."
I give him a small smile. "It's all forgotten now. Though, can you maybe pull in some strings and have them bring him here?"
"I'm afraid I can't do that, sweetie. It's flu season."
"Damn." I yawn loudly, fatigue starting to win.
"Sleep for a while. I'll be over there." He points to the couch.
I do as suggested and close my eyes, only now becoming aware of how everything hurts and how tired I am.
What feels like forever later, which might as well could be considering the sky is dark, I wake up to raised hushed voices. Someone is trying not to wake us, unsuccessfully.
"Esme, calm down, honey. Don't wake her."
"Carl, they're...they're... I don't have a word." She sounds defeated. I wonder what happened, but pretend to sleep for a while longer not to disturb them. Though it should be the other way around.
"They're grown-ups. Two of them just became dads. Let them have fun!"
Uh huh. They're talking about Edward and James. What have they done?
"You should have heard him, Carlisle!" Esme hisses annoyed. "Oh, don't worry Mom, I'm fine. Just celebrating with my five J friends. And he threw his thumb over his shoulder, grinning at me."
"Five J friends?" Carlisle asks what's been bugging me, too.
"Apparently two of them are James and Jasper. The other three...not exactly alive—Jim, Jack and Johnny."
I snort out, giving myself away.
The bed dips next to my left hip and a warm hand takes mine. "I'm sorry, Bella."
I open my eyes, smiling at Esme. "It's okay. I've been awake for a few minutes." I turn my head to Vic, only to see her gone. "Where's she? Is she okay?"
"Yes. Don't worry." Esme pats my hand. "Rose came to visit and they're at the twins."
"Oh, I've been so out of it. What do they have?"
"A pair." She beams at me. "Would you like to go visit your baby boy?"
"Very much so. I miss him."
"Of course you do. Carl, honey, bring the wheelchair closer."
"I can walk," I protest, but just as I sit up on the edge of the bed, I feel woozy and frown at the IV going in my arm. "What the..."
"Your doctor put that there while you were asleep. You lost some blood and he just wanted to keep you nourished," Carlisle explains, parking the wheelchair next to my bed.
"Can you call Edward and tell him to come over? If he's not too hangover." I giggle.
"I'll see what I can do," he says, extracting his phone from his pocket.
On the way to the nursery ward, I ask Esme to explain to me what happened with Edward and the five J's.
She laughs, starting a detailed story of how she went to our house to check on Edward—because everyone saw how shaken he was—only to find him drunk. He explained to her that he was celebrating.
I don't even want to know the state the house is in. I can picture empty bottles of liquor everywhere and three passed out man.
"Sheesh! Is that poor dog still alive in there?" I wonder, glancing at Esme.
"I think he's drunk, too," Esme answers, laughing heartily. "I found him lapping at an empty bottle's head."
"Oh, God. Poor animal."
She pats my shoulder. "You'll have time to chide my son for his carelessness later. Now, we're here."
"I just wish I hadn't sent him home. I'd have liked for him to be here now..." I murmur sadly.
"Don't worry. He'll be here. He'll be with you two all the time."
We get in the room that hosts all the newborns. A nurse immediately gives us special robes and makes us wash hands, then asks for the name.
I look panicked at Esme, though she looks calm.
"Cullen," she explains.
The nurse nods, smiling before she takes me to my baby. I can see Victoria a few beds away, leaning over two basinets smiling big.
"Hey!" she whispers. "It will be difficult for them." She points to her twins. "Odd, more accurately. One was born on thirteenth and the other on fourteenth."
I snort out. "Well, there will definitely be two parties. When did I give birth anyway? Was it after midnight?" I turn to Esme, raising an eyebrow.
The nurse distracts me by offering me Junior. Whoa! They weren't joking when they said he was big. I fear to ask how much he weighed.
I wrap my arms around his body, holding him to my chest, kissing his head—hairy head might I add. Edward's strange bronze spikes can be seen in Junior's hair. He won't open his eyes now, probably still sleepy, but I remember his deep blue eyes. I hope they stay, or at least he should inherit his daddy's green eyes.
"So far he's been the quietest baby I've got in my six years of nursery," the nurse informs me.
I kiss the baby's head again. "As long as you keep being good once we go home, we'll be best friends, sweetie."
"You asked about the time of birth," the nurse tells me. "I can answer that. He was born at twelve on dot."
I bite my lip to keep hold of my amusement. "That means his birthday will be on fourteenth, right?"
"Yes. He got ten at the Apgar score and weighed fifteen pounds and seven ounces."
Holy fuck.
I really didn't need to know I pushed a watermelon out of me.
But now that I look around, I can see how big he is. Compared to Vic's twins...both of them together weigh as much as Junior.
"Since the doctor told you at ultrasounds that he was big, I wanted to warn you, but I really didn't want to scare you," Esme says quietly. "Edward was about as big when he was born—thirteen pounds and seven ounces."
"I guess I was underweighted at only eight pounds and five ounces. But I've seen pictures of Mom pregnant...she barely showed...unlike me. It will be hard to lose all this weight."
*BH*
I spent three days in the hospital.
Edward joined me at some point after I returned from Junior. He explained to me exactly what happened at home. Apparently, Jasper ended up with a black eye and a split lip for filming my and Vic's coochies as we gave birth. Then they decided to drink and the rest is history.
He's been a constant presence at the hospital. If he isn't near me, he's in the newborns' ward with Junior.
I guess the name stuck, because everyone refers to him as that.
Edward even jokes about naming the baby after him so the nickname will be legit. I scowl at him.
We have a couple of names already prepared. I just need to decide.
"We're ready. The doc filled in your papers," Edward announces loudly, stepping into our room. He has the portable basket with the baby in it.
"Well, then let's go." I turn to Vic—she'll be staying for another couple of days. "We'll see you soon," I promise.
"Yeah, yeah. Take care!" She waves to us.
"Aw, sis. James will come visit you tonight. And Mom's talking with your doctor, and then she'll be here with you." Edward hands me the basket then goes to his sister.
In moments like these, I really wish I was closer with my only step sister, but I barely know her. In this moment I promise myself to make at least another baby. I don't want Junior alone.
Looking down at him, I find him watching me curiously, his arms stretched up. I grasp his little hand, smiling at him.
As long as I'm around him, I can't really see how big he is. Only when he's around other babies, I can see the difference, but there were even bigger babies, which is crazy. No wonder I ate like a bottomless pit while pregnant. My little boy needed his food.
A hand on the small of my back brings me back to present. "Let's go," Edward whispers, steering me out.
I glance over my shoulder to see Vic smiling at us, but there are tears in her eyes.
"What did you tell her?" I ask worried. "Take Junior so I can button up my coat."
He takes the basket, shrugging. "Just had a talk with my lil' sista."
I don't push it, because I can see he's just affected by their conversation. Jeez. This bond between them is crazy.
"So did you install that safety-seat in the back of my car?"
"We're not putting him there now!"
"No Edward. I just want to know it's there," I tell him, rolling my eyes. "For now, I'll stay in the back with him."
"Good. And uh, no. I didn't. I couldn't figure it out."
During the drive home, Junior falls asleep. Once parked in the driveway, Edward comes to take him so I can get out of the car. As if knowing he's finally alone with us, he starts getting fussy and lets out a few loud wails.
"Hey, now," Edward mumbles. "What's wrong? You were extra good at the hospital."
The baby answers with a loud cry.
Great.
I hurry to unlock and open the front door while Edward comes behind me with my bag and a very fussy Junior.
"Maybe he's hungry. He didn't eat since this morning. It's afternoon, now." I stretch my arms so Junior can be back where he belongs—in my arms. "And a change." I can feel the full diaper.
"I'll be…here." Edward points to the kitchen. "Feeding Spaz."
"No, you'll be upstairs with me," I hiss. "Put some food down for the pup then come to Junior's room."
There's always been a room across the hall from my favorite room—the one that hosts the bookcase. Edward used to keep in there boxes of stuff he didn't need, so I never paid attention to it considering I figured it was just small and of no real use. Until one day when being on my prenatal leave and bored, I went in there to see what exactly he kept in that room. Before that moment we were thinking of turning the guest room in Junior's room or maybe Edward's home office, but then I found this big room.
Of course, when Edward came home that day he was shocked to find me cleaning that room and all his boxes in the hallway. After looking through them and throwing away whatever he didn't need, he stored the remaining boxes in the garage. There's been college stuff in them—stuff he didn't need anymore.
And now, the room has a changing table, many diaper bags, wipes and all we'll need for the baby. His crib is installed in our room for now.
