Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Nor do I own the movie Ransom but I highly recommend it.
AN: It took me forever to write this chapter. I can't count how many hours I spent staring at a blank piece of paper trying to force myself to write something but I couldn't think of what I wanted to say. Finally something came to me yesterday and I was able to finish it this morning. I hope you guys enjoy it. As usual, let me know what you think.
Being a mother came natural to Bella which didn't surprise anyone, much less Paul. She had been coddling Renee and catering to her needs since she was thirteen when she decided that one of them needed to grow up and be responsible. She had a knack for knowing what Holden needed and calming him down within minutes. Paul on the other hand, was still learning. He had never even held a baby before Holden so being responsible for one left him out of his element. Whenever Bella left the baby with him she would leave a list of things that would help him on the fridge so that he wouldn't become stressed or haggard.
After two months of being a parent Paul liked to think that he was starting to get the hang of things. Holden still wasn't sleeping through the night and since Paul needed to sleep so that he didn't lose his job with Sam Bella took care of him at night. It wouldn't be so bad if the baby slept for longer than an hour during the night.
Bella loved her little boy with everything she had but her lack of sleep was starting to effect her usual rational way of thinking. She was at the end of her rope so she spent twenty minutes calling everyone she could think of before getting in touch with Sue. Sue was at work but she promised that she would send someone over.
Ten minutes later Leah let herself in to find Bella hunched over the island with the baby in his bouncy seat next to her. Bella had a hand on the seat to keep it moving but Leah could tell that she looked rough. Bella didn't even acknowledge that Leah was there.
"My mom said that you needed help with the baby," Leah broached carefully.
Bella lifted her head slowly, her eyes not quiet focusing on her best girl friend.
"So she sent you?" Bella asked sounding unsure of Sue's decision.
"I called Jake and he'll be here once he's done helping your dad," Leah explained, hurt.
"I didn't mean it like that, I'm sorry. Thank you," Bella apologized with a deep sigh.
"Go lay down," Leah ordered.
"I can stay up until Jake gets here."
"Bella, go lay down," she said more firmly.
Bella got up and shuffled/stumbled to the bedroom before stopping at the door. She looked over she shoulder as she remembered something that she needed to tell Leah.
"There's a piece of paper on the fridge that tells you how to make his bottles. And he likes it when you keep the seat moving," she explained, motioning to the bouncy seat.
"Got it," Leah said, putting a hand on the seat and moving it gently like she had seen Bella do.
The door closed silently and Leah took a moment to look down at Holden. He was like a mini Paul all down to his long monkey like toes. It was obvious that all he had inherited from Bella was his compact size. He stared up at Leah, not sure what to make of this person who he rarely saw without other people around. He was generally a sweet baby when he wasn't crying; which seemed to be his favorite thing to do.
Leah's phone vibrated in her pocket and she pulled it out to check it with her free hand. Jake had texted her to let her know that he was going to be longer than he had originally thought because he still hadn't figured out what was wrong with Charlie's truck. She set her phone down letting out a huge puff of air.
"Looks like it's just you and me kid," she said glumly.
The baby frowned, his brows furrowed together. Leah knew what that meant.
"You couldn't have done that half an hour ago?" Leah whined.
He grunted in response, his face turning a light shade of pink as he did his business. After a few minutes he started to whimper to let Leah know that he was done. Luckily she had gotten everything she needed to change him and set it up on the floor of the front room.
"Okay, little man; no funny business. I don't like this any more than you do," she warned.
She settled the baby on his changing mat and quickly set about undressing him. Bella, Jacob and her mom had warned her about having a diaper ready as soon as she pulled the dirty one off, she did not want a golden shower; that much she knew.
She gagged as she pulled down the soiled diaper, how had the kid managed to get it up on his back? At least it wasn't that bad. She picked him up after cleaning him up to wipe off his back before placing him back on the mat to fix the new diaper on him. She set Holden back in his seat, making sure that the strap was secure before wiping down the mat like she had seen Bella do.
When she finished she checked on the baby to find him half asleep. She unfastened him slowly and picked him up gently to cary him to his room. It was time for this kid to take his first nap in his crib. She placed him gently in his crib and turned on the dog that played music and let off just enough light to not disrupt Holden's sleep before tiptoeing out of the room.
The front door opened and Jacob stepped in, his eyes meeting Leah's as she stepped into the front room. She put a finger to her lips before crossing the room. Jacob pulled her to him, resting his chin on her head.
"I thought that you wouldn't be here for a while," she mumbled into his neck.
"I talked Quil into doing it. Did you knock him out or something?" he asked, concerned.
"He fell asleep on his own, thank you very much," she said pulling away from him to give a dark look.
"Sorry," he murmured against her lips.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and was close enough to feel his breath fan across her face when a car pulled up out front. She pulled away with a sigh. She had forgotten that Paul came home for lunch most days to give Bella a break for an hour.
Paul came in, giving them both curious looks.
"We're looking after Holden so that Bella can get some sleep," Jacob explained.
"And where is he now?" Paul asked slowly.
"I laid him down in his crib," Leah reassured him.
"Okay," Paul said with a nod.
Leah and Jacob sat on the couch while Paul rummaged through the fridge and cabinets. He ate quickly before asking them to wake him up in half an hour. He shut his bedroom door behind him making Leah look up at Jacob expectantly.
"What?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
"What are we supposed to do now?"
Jacob reached for the TV remote with a sigh, thankful that Charlie had given Bella a TV for Christmas. He flipped through the channels until he found a Mel Gibson movie that he hadn't seen before.
"Ransom, really?" Leah questioned.
"Okay, what's wrong with it?"
"Nothing, I'm just surprised that we found something that we agree on so easily," she said, not taking her eyes off of the TV.
They got lost in the drama until Jacob went to wake up Paul. What they were watching caught his attention and he smiled to himself.
"If y'all want to watch that from the beginning it's on the DVR," he said before walking out the door.
"We're watching this from the beginning," Jacob said as he pulled up the DVR.
Leah went to check on the baby since he had been asleep for almost an hour and found him lying on his stomach like she had left him but he was awake trying to lift his head to look around. She picked him up, holding close to her as she made her way into the kitchen to make a bottle in case he was hungry.
Paul and Bella's room was silent for the rest of the afternoon and Jacob went to pick up dinner for Paul and Bella and start dinner for his dad while Leah gave the baby a bath. He had peed all over himself and the floor while Jacob changed him. Leah washed him up in the sink just like her mom had done with her and Seth.
"You didn't have to do that. I was going to give him one later," Bella said tiredly.
"He had an accident while Jake was changing him. It was this or take him outside and hose him down."
"Where is Jake?"
"He went to get dinner for you and Paul and to get started for his dad. We were gonna take Holden for the night."
"You don't have to."
"It's Paul's night off, right?"
"Yeah."
"My mom wants to take Holden off your hands for the night, and you're going to turn that down?"
"Paul's off Sunday, she can keep him Saturday night and all day Sunday."
"I'll let her know."
Holden's eyes roamed the area looking for Bella, when he didn't see her he let out a cry of annoyance.
"That's only the third time he's cried since I got here."
"He's gotten used to you," Bella said with a smile.
Leah lifted him out of the sink and Bella wrapped him in his towel, holding him close to her.
"Did he nap for you?"
"He slept in his crib for over an hour."
"I can never get him to sleep in it. Every time I put him in he screams bloody murder," Bella marveled.
"It helped that he was already asleep when I laid him down."
Jacob came in with a bag from the diner and sat it on the counter silently. Leah kissed the baby's head then hugged Bella before she and Jacob walked out the door.
"Wait, I need to pay you," Bella said quickly.
"Don't worry about it Bells," Jacob said.
"See you Saturday," Leah said, shutting the door behind them.
Bella was dressing Holden when Paul got home. He stood at the nursery room door watching Bella interact with their son. She talked quietly to him and he cooed back at her. She finally noticed him once she had turned around to carry Holden out of the room.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"A minute or two. How long have you been up?"
"Not long. I had to talk Leah out of taking him home with her. Sue wanted to watch him for the night."
"Why would you turn her down?" he questioned, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"He's going over Saturday night and she keeping him on Sunday."
"You're right, that's better. Come here big guy," he said, holding out his arms to take the baby.
Holden went to him willingly and Bella heated up their dinner. This was a typical night off for him. He loved taking over and getting to spend time with Holden on his own. They sat on the couch with his legs pulled up and Holden rested on his thighs. The baby gripped his fingers as he bounced him up and down. Bella placed his bouncy seat on the coffee table and Paul strapped the baby in so that they could eat. He placed a foot on the seat to keep it moving while the ate.
Once they were done Bella got out Holden's play mat so that he could play on the floor. They settled down to watch a movie while Holden played and cooed quietly. He was getting more active and was at the point where Bella and Paul didn't need to hold him at all times. He was happiest when he was able to move or someone else was moving while holding him.
Holden was ready to be fed just before Paul was about to go to bed so Bella took over so that Paul could go to bed.
"Are you coming to bed soon?" he asked from the bedroom door.
"That all depends on him. I'm going to try to put him in his crib. Will you put batteries in the monitor before you go to bed?"
He nodded before going into the room. Holden rested his head in the crook of her neck while she undid her shirt and pulled her bra down. He latched onto her breast almost immediately and watched as he ate. She smiled down at him, running a finger down his cheek gently. He sighed deeply, snuggling closer to her warmth.
She let him eat as much as he wanted and it wasn't long before he fell asleep in her arms. She carefully pulled herself off the couch and walked at a snails pace to his bedroom. She didn't want to jostle him and have to restart the process of putting him down for the night. He stayed asleep once she placed him in the crib and turned on his puppy. The baby monitor was turned on next and she grabbed the portable monitor before leaving the room.
She cracked Holden's door before moving throughout the front of the house to throw out their dinner containers and program the coffee maker. She turned off the lamp in the main room last before heading to bed.
Paul was snoring softly while she changed but woke up as she climbed into bed. He held his arms open for her and she scooted closer to him until she was enveloped in his heat.
"'Night," he said, his voice thick with sleep.
"Good night," she whispered before kissing the corner of his mouth.
This was the closest she had been able to get to him in over five months. She was going to take advantage of being so close to him more often. But not tonight, she needed sleep. She fell asleep feeling his heart beat slowly against her chest. It was a feeling that she would never forget.