19. All in the Family

Bella POV

"A boy," I repeated as I looked down at my belly, the mystery of the second twin now suddenly gone.

Leah Clearwater from whom I'd heard about from Seth and Jacob but had never met and had somewhat feared.

First Jacob had imprinted and now the child whose identity I'd hoped to have been kept a secret until its birth was now revealed. And now Leah. Were none of my children my own? Was I only the incubator like I'd once thought?

And while I wanted to be angry at Leah I knew there was no point since I'd all ready been through this with Jacob.

I wasn't the only one bothered though.

"I'm- I'm sorry," Leah said. "I didn't I-,"

From what I'd heard from Seth, Leah was never one to fumble for words. She took off into the woods. She wasn't the only one having a hard time.

"Leah," Jacob called after her.

I walked back inside and headed to my room. I wanted to be alone with this.

"Seth, go after her," I heard Jacob say behind me. "Bella," Jacob called to me following me into the room.

I sat on the rocking chair that Charlie had gotten me with the back pillow as added support and an elevated pillow for my legs on the ottoman. The tears were starting to flow down my face but I didn't care.

Jacob took a seat on the double wide ottoman near my legs.

"What is it with you wolves? This love at first sight is getting pretty old pretty fast. It's not even first sight for you and Leah since you haven't even seen them yet. I don't know what it is."

"I think at this point none of us realize just deep it is. It's like gravity- something that's always been there even before anyone knew what it was. You know it wasn't Leah's fault."

"I know and that's why I know I can't be mad at her.

Jacob reached for a tissue and dabbed my eyes. "Then come on what's this about?"

"It's the hormones. I can't help it," I said wiping the tears Jacob didn't get.

"Sure it is. Talk to me Bella, what is it?"

"I love my babies but with you and Leah- they were supposed to be mine, Jacob."

"They are yours Bella. You will always be their mom and Edward will always be their dad regardless if he's in the picture or not. I can't be that for them and neither can Leah. A mom and dad aren't in the imprinting job description.

I smiled, "That makes me feel a little better."

"Look you know we can't control it. It just chooses you sometimes, you know that. When we found out you were having twins I'd hoped that at least one of them wouldn't have interference from us. And the last thing I wanted or ever imagined was the two of us having to share the second twin with Leah of all people. She's not all bad, at least that's what Seth says so I don't know maybe we could give her the benefit of the doubt. She did just freak out too."

"And she won't take over?"

"She'll be whatever he needs her to be except a mom. He's got you for that, they both do," Jacob said with a smile.

I smiled back and then looked down at my belly as I cradled the bottom with my left hand and rubbed it in circles with my right.

"A boy. How is it that Edward managed to give me one of each?" A smirk crept on Jacob's face. "What?"

"It's nothing, just guy stuff. I'm guessing Edward was ready for a long time. He just needed the right girl and he found her."

I smiled at him. "Thanks."

"I'm gonna go check on Seth, see what's taking so long."

I nodded and Jacob headed out. Leah made five out of seven now. Were all the wolves destined to imprint? What did this mean for Seth and Embry? And more importantly, what did it mean for my kids? Did it mean they had a chance at a future and what kind of future? The two main theories for imprinting were to carry on the werewolf line or to breed bigger wolves. Jacob wasn't sure which but given that Jacob and Leah had imprinted on half-vampires what did it mean for the Quileute's?

All questions that I had no answers to.

[Jacob POV]

As I was coming outside Embry and Seth were coming back from the woods in human form.

"What happened, where's Leah?"

"She's still steaming," Seth said pointing to the woods behind him. "She wants to be with Bella and the baby but at the same time she has all of this girl stuff going on."

"We were lucky to get out of her head," added Embry. "I was starting to get confused about being a guy. Geeze how did Sam and his pack put up with her?"

"I'll go talk to her," I said.

"You sure," asked Seth.

"Who else will," I asked not waiting for an answer from either of them as I headed into the woods and phased into my wolf.

'Leah' I called out.

'Just great. Go away Jacob.'

'You know I can't do that,' I said when I found her.

'You're the leader you can do whatever you want. Leave me alone.'

'It's because I'm the leader of this pack that I'm here. Leah, whatever it is- your imprinting- it's not such a bad thing.'

'Don't you think I know that? Don't you think that all I want to do is be with him now?'

'Then I don't get it, what's stopping you?'

'What do you think: Me!'

I was still having a hard time figuring out what she meant. Why did all girls have to be so hard to understand?

As if answering my thoughts I saw an old image of Leah getting her period for the first time.

'Ugh,' I said trying to shrink back from the memory. 'Why the hell would you show me that?'

'See you're just like every other guy. You want to run the second you know.'

'Well show me you at the store buying tampons or something but not that. No wonder Embry started getting confused.'

'Can you just shut up and listen? I'm trying to explain. It sucks being the only girl wolf. None of you guys can relate.'

'Thank god for that.'

'But can you at least listen or is that too much to ask of an Alpha? Not even Sam would hear it. He wanted me to stop being a girl and stop complaining.'

Being compared to Sam was always going to be a sore spot for me. He and I were completely different people and so our styles of leading our packs were different as well. Even though I was the Alpha and had to give orders, it felt wrong being compared to Sam in that I would not listen.

I sighed, 'I'm all ears.'

'That first month I was with Sam's pack, I didn't get my period and I hadn't had sex with him or anyone else. Then the second month came and nothing. I stopped being a girl Jacob, at least what biologically made me one. Jared and Paul started giving me a hard time about it even to the point of calling me the Dead End Wolf because if my female cycle had stopped that could only mean I wouldn't be able to have kids.

And now this happens? What does it mean for me, for that boy growing inside of Bella? I mean Jesus, Jake I love that boy all ready and we've never even met. And I know you feel that way about his sister. I can feel it."

'Other than…that…stopping what's the problem?'

'Weren't you paying attention? The problem is me. I thought I was a genetic dead end. No period in my case means that instead of being pregnant like Bella who doesn't have to worry about her period for nine months, my body stops producing eggs all together. But now that I've imprinted does that mean I'm not a genetic dead end? And if so it doesn't make sense that I had to be a wolf in the first place!

If Bella's son and I were meant for each other I'm pretty sure we would have found each other anyways.'

'I actually have a theory about that.'

'Then tell me something I don't know Great Alpha.'

'I've thought of the same thing- at least about why we have to be wolves if we were destined to be with Bella's kids anyways. I mean Quil imprinted on Claire and she's only two. Quil can stay sixteen until she's ready for him but you and I Leah, we're different than the others because we didn't imprint on humans.

The guys, they'll be able to give up their wolf selves and live normal lives with Emily, Kim, and Rachel but you and me, we were given a choice. Our imprints are half human, half vampire. No one knows how that will turn out- whether they'll live normal human lives or be immortal like their father. The fact that we imprinted on them gives us that choice. We might get to live our lives like Sam, Jared, Paul and Quil or maybe we'll get to stay with them as immortals.'

I could see that my words had calmed Leah down. Strange how the last person I'd wanted in my pack had now become the only person who could understand what this was like. At this rate I would have to reassign positions. Like it or not with me as the Alpha and my nephew having a connection to Leah it only stood to reason that she would become my second in command.

'Thanks for the promotion, I think.'

'Don't thank me thank your imprint. I'm pretty sure when he's old enough and understands he would hate me if I didn't have you as my second. And besides, it makes sense since there are two of them inside of Bella. If it had been a girl and Seth or Embry imprinted I would have given them the position just the same.'

Leah remained silent for a second and then opened her thoughts. 'As good of a theory as that is Jacob, what does it mean for me?'

I sighed. Leah had forced me to think of the one subject no guy had wanted to think of and now that I had, I'd all ready formulated a theory for her case.

'Maybe you're not a dead end. If and whether Bella's son lives a human life span or a vampire one if you want kids when you're read maybe your period will pick up again. You pop out a few puppies and go back to living your life as a human or you phase again to stop from aging so you can be with him. Looks to me though either way you'll get to have kids regardless of which lifestyle my nephew gets to live.

I mean just look at Edward. I'm sure none of those vamps thought it was possible to have kids and yet somehow Edward's swimmers got a human pregnant. Maybe the same thing will happen with you some day. You can start up your human half when you want kids and then stop it when you're done. Either way you'll get to be happy which to me seems like you didn't think you probably deserved.'

Leah remained silent. I couldn't read her emotions in her mind or her facial expressions. She was completely blank.

Her eyes widened in astonishment. I could see her thoughts begin to form. There was nothing wrong with her, at least if I was right. Sam or any of the other guys hadn't imprinted on her because her genes, like my own, had been reserved for someone more deserving.

Leah and I couldn't have imagined that they would have been part vampire and that our extended family, regardless if Edward and the Cullen's were around or not, were vampires and that didn't matter because to us it only made our imprints that much more special, it made us that much more special.

Nothing had made sense for either of us before and this was the reason.

It was weird at how connected our minds were now. Only Leah could understand what I was experiencing and me with her. No one ever could. All ready I was starting to feel like a brother to her, I could feel it coming from Leah. And she was starting to feel like a sister to me, she could feel it coming from me too.

'Wanna come inside?' I asked.

Leah nodded.

The two of us phased. It seemed easier for Leah this time. The first time she'd phased human we'd all nearly gotten our eyes gorged out and since then Leah had phased away from the guys, at least from what I'd witnessed the last time.

Now though the two of us stood naked in the woods like Adam and Eve before the fall.

I reached down for the cord holding my shorts. I noticed Leah didn't have one.

"We'll get you some new stuff," I said as I zipped up.

"Got it covered bro," Embry said from the other side of the woods where he couldn't be seen.

He tossed a bag in our direction. Leah opened it up and found a bra, crème colored tank, some underwear and jean shorts.

"They're the right size," Leah said as she dressed.

"Yeah, I called your mom after you joined our pack," said Embry.

"They're brand new," Leah pointed out when we joined Embry on his side.

He placed his hands in his pockets, "So I went shopping, big deal. None of us wanted to be around when you went all girl on Jacob but from now on buy your own clothes. Buying that girl stuff is asking a guy to buy tampons. So you imprinted. Guess it's inevitable for all of us then. The last person I thought it would happen to was you. Are you even sure it's a boy in there?"

"Are you seriously asking that?"

"What, it could be a girl. Just because you dated Sam doesn't necessarily mean you're into guys."

I just shook my head over the fact that Embry was questioning Leah's sexuality. I mean sure anything was possible but despite her butch style I doubted that very much. Some girls could be butch and still be into guys.

"Sure," said Leah, "And Jacob's imprint could be a boy. Did you ever think ask him that? Did you ever consider he might be the one who's wrong?"

Embry laughed, "Yeah like that could ever happen. Seriously how can you tell?"

"It's the smell," said Leah, "I wasn't around Bella that long when I imprinted but the twins have a smell. The girl smells like sage and lavender. The boy smells like cedar and fall leaves."

"I still don't get it," said Embry.

"Neither do I," I replied.

Leah shook her head. "Boys. Okay what guy wears lavender scented anything?"

We shook our heads, we couldn't think of any.

"Right, because lavender is a girl smell. Guy smells are earthier, more dirt and wood scents. If Bella were carrying another girl the baby would smell more girly with floral or fruity scents."

"Huh, why didn't I consider that? And I've been around them longer than you have."

"Yeah well other than the occasional food, deodorant, cologne, and body odor you guys don't pay much attention to smells."

The three of us walked inside where Seth got up from his place in the great room couch. I looked over and saw that Bella's door was closed.

"She just went to bed about fifteen minutes ago. Hopefully she'll be able to get some sleep after you left after Leah the twins were kicking up a storm."

We all noticed the look of disappointment on Leah's face.

"It's okay, you'll see Bella tomorrow," I reassured her. I looked at Seth and Embry. "You boys up for a perimeter run?" I asked. "I'm gonna show Leah to the empty room upstairs."

"The red-head hasn't been seen in a month," said Embry, "You really think she's coming back?"

"The second we let our guard down is when she'll attack. Go."

"On it boss," said Embry.

"Don't worry Leah, we won't let anything happen to him," Seth said as he followed Embry out.

I gave Leah a small smile and then we toured the house and made our way upstairs. The house held six bedrooms and now Leah occupied the final room which was the second door on the left. To the far rooms on the right my room was the second door which I shared with Quil when he was around and Seth's was the first door which he shared with Embry.