21. Pain and Distraction

[Jacob POV]

'This doesn't feel right. Maybe we should go back,' said Leah.

We were miles apart but since she'd joined the pack a month ago I'd gotten used to hearing her when we were separated as wolves.

I knew she wanted to be near Bella and the babies. It's what I wanted too. Now that Bella had entered her third trimester and was twenty-eight weeks along, Sue had placed her on mandatory bed rest which meant no school for the next three to five months so for the time being it was doing school assignments at home. Leah and I had taken a sabbatical from school as well. We had tried that first day to go to school without Bella but with no success. It seemed that the more Bella's stomach continued to grow so did the forces of our connections.

Right now though, we had to focus. Bella was at the house with Charlie, Billy and Sue. She was safe. She was safe I repeated.

I could see in Leah's thoughts that she was nearing one of the north entry points of Sam's land with Seth thirty-five yards from her.

Embry and Quil had my flanks as we ran on the Cullen's territory. We could smell Victoria. She was close. We came to a halt on a ledge that dropped down near the river. Victoria leaped from the bottom and to the other cliff where Sam took up the chase.

Though we could roam freely, as wolves we still maintained to our respected territories so there would be no misunderstandings.

We followed the lines as Victoria continued to bounce back and forth knowing that she couldn't easily be caught. She had studied us for months and therefore knew that the lands were our weakness. There were five of us on our side and three on theirs. It would have been much easier and faster if we could cross the boarders.

Quil lifted his muzzle.

'Do you guys smell that,' he asked as he darted off in search of the new burning scent.

'Embry follow the line,' I ordered as I took after Quil.

'Ugh there's another one,' Leah said in her area.

'Are the Cullen's back,' asked Seth.

'It's not the Cullen's,' I heard Sam after I relayed Sam Seth's thoughts. 'We would have recognized their scent. There's a third smell in our area.'

'Then what the hell is going on,' I asked.

'I've got Paul and Jared tracking the unknown. I'm still on Victoria,' said Sam.

'Got it. Embry is tracking with you. We'll get these other two leeches on our side.'

'Be careful Jacob.'

'You too, Sam.'

Hatred fueled me as my pack and I chased after the vampires. Other than Victoria I'd almost forgotten what they smelled like. The smell was overwhelming, like placing water on a grease fire. These vampires were fast but we were faster.

I could see Leah and the others come upon the leech. He was different from Victoria, more rabid. Seth lunged at his arms. He continued to rip at them as the vampire cried out in pain. Leah took out the legs and Quil went for the abdomen. Seth went in for the final blow and severed the head.

I'd been so focused on the kill that I failed to register the threat behind me.

'Jacob' Leah called out.

I turned in time to see the girl vampire lunge at me. She'd moved so rapidly that as I tried to snap away at her she jumped over me and onto my back. The bones in by body suddenly shattered all at once and not having any control, fell to the floor.

No longer in control of my wolf, I'd returned to my human state. The pain was too much, naked and oddly cold, I cried out but in my state of consciousness it took what little strength I had to watch as my pack destroyed my attacker.

Seth lifted his muzzle and howled. He stayed wolf while Leah and Embry phased and carefully took sides near me.

My eyes felt heavy and suddenly everything was black.

[Bella POV]

Chaos erupted inside the house as Leah rushed inside from the side entrance on the porch. Billy and I were seated in the living room while Sue and Charlie were busy making dinner.

"Mom," Leah called out.

It took me a second to get to my feet but I finally did and just as I stood Jake's pack along with Sam and his, came inside.

"Jacob!" I said when I saw him lying in the guys arms.

He reached out and grabbed my hand, "Bella," he said weakly.

"I'm here," I said squeezing it.

"What happened," Sue said as she came into the room.

"We were ambushed," said Leah, "God damn… vultures," she said making sure not to use the word vampire in front of Charlie since he still did not know about that world, "Distracted us from the hunt."

"Let's get him upstairs," said Sue.

"You're gonna be okay Jake," I said as I squeezed his hand one last time before they took him up.

Jacob's screams continued for the next fifteen minutes. Charlie and Billy stayed downstairs with me and occasionally Seth came down to give us updates. His injuries were severe and with Sue being only a nurse a lot of his treatment was trial and error. Mainly a lot of his bones had to be re-broken with Sam's help and then reset so to normal before his rapid healing could start.

I leaned as best I could against one of the far walls near the door, too distracted to sit. Even the twins were kicking up a storm, almost as if my daughter had known something bad had happened to her Jacob.

"He'll be okay," I whispered softly to my belly, hoping that my words would sooth them.

But would he really? Jacob wouldn't have gotten hurt if it hadn't been for me. Though it was in their nature to hunt vampires, Victoria was here because of me and the Cullen's. At first it hadn't quite made sense why she was coming after me instead of Edward but the more I thought of James the more I saw it wasn't revenge against his killer that she wanted but revenge of a lover. Edward killed her mate and she would see to it that she kill his regardless if we were broken up or not.

Jacob's pain continued to radiate throughout the house. Victoria had created a distraction for the wolves since she couldn't come at me directly.

It ended now.

Now that she'd found a way against the wolves I wasn't about to let anymore of my family get hurt.

Billy and Charlie continued to hover near the stairs, looking up in hopes that someone would come down with an update. I took that as my quick escape, though quick was slightly the opposite for the speed a seven-month pregnant woman could go but with everyone's attention on Jacob, I was the least of their concerns.

[Leah POV]

I wanted to be with Bella and the baby downstairs, anywhere but here where I sat near Jacob's side in his room. Sam and my mom were the only ones with us. The other five stood around in the loft.

With our rapid healing my mom thought it was best to re-break the bones that the leech had broken so that they would reset.

The morphine was pointless and so was our Google search on veterinary medicine since we couldn't risk animal dosages. And so Jacob screamed in agony.

After a half hour he'd finally calmed down. His body was wrapped in gauze bandages but he was still clammy and sweaty. My mom estimated that it would be a few days for him to get back to his old self.

"You didn't have to stay you know," Jacob said faintly.

"I'm your number two, it's my job," I replied.

"You're gonna have to pick up the slack, you okay with that?"

"I can handle it."

"Good. You have no idea how much I depend on you, Leah."

"I'd say that's just the morphine talking but you're not on any. Get some rest, Jacob."

"I will in a minute. Bella, where's Bella?"

"She's downstairs."

Embry snuck his head in the room, "Uh no she's not. I just checked. She's gone. Charlie's starting to freak out."

"Damn it," Jacob said trying to get up.

"Stay," I said to him.

"You don't order me around," Jacob said raising his voice.

"I do now," I raised back.

"She's going after Victoria on her own."

"I know that. We'll find her. As your second I'm ordering you to stay in bed." I looked at Embry, "Stay with him."

"Ugh, don't get used to this Leah," Jacob groaned.

I left the room without commenting and closed the door.

"I'll stay with Jacob," said Sam, "Yu boys go with Leah."

"I'll go," said Paul, "One of us should go inform Emily and Rachel on what's going on and since you can't leave Jacob-,"

"I'll take care of that," said Jared.

Sam nodded, "Go."

[Bella POV- at the same time as when Leah was with Jacob]

The one time I wished for my body to prior getting pregnant. My legs and feet ached and my center of gravity was so disoriented that it felt as if I would fall forward.

I hadn't wandered that far from the house but it was enough to where the woods covered me on all sides.

I rubbed my belly to reassure the twins and myself that we were okay and then I placed my hands to the side. I doubted very much that Victoria cared if I was pregnant. If she had this would have ended a long time ago.

"I know you're out there," I called out. "You want me, I'm here."

In an instant Victoria hung on one of the trees across from me.

"You're brave to meet me alone, and in your fragile condition no less."

"Edward's gone, I have nothing left to lose," I said to her as I took the sharp edge of the stick I was holding and sliced it through my wrist.

Victoria's natural vampire instincts kicked in as she sniffed the air smelling my blood.

"I'd say you have a lot to lose but lucky for me it doesn't matter."

Victoria made a quick lunge but as I'd predicted the wolves were quicker.

Leah stood in front of me and growled at Victoria but it was Paul, the last of the wolves I would have expected, who grabbed Victoria tightly around the torso. He thrashed her wildly like a shark playing with its food but not once did he let go. He split her body in half and then took the two halves to the woods to destroy the rest of it limb by limb.

Leah turned to me and nodded.

"Perfect timing," I said to her.

Leah phased and was quick to change into her clothes.

"Wait you knew we'd show up?"

"Well I'd hoped you would," I replied.

"You know Jacob's pissed right," Paul said coming to us. "Leah here had to order him to stay in bed and he's being guarded by Sam and Embry."

"Yeah I guess I owe Jacob an explanation but it was the only way. I knew if I said anything to you guys it wouldn't work since Victoria was probably within hearing distance. At least with me gone and all of you focused on Jacob she'd see her chance and take it."

"But the blood Bella," Leah said ripping off the sleeve of my jacket and wrapping it around where I cut myself. "You don't heal the way we do. Jacob's gonna kill me."

"Not if I tell him not to. And what better way to attract a vampire then with the smell they desire most?"

Paul shook his head, "Anyone ever tell you you're a magnet for danger?"

"More than once," I replied.

"Come on," said Leah, "Let's go home. I'm picking you up. There's no way I'm letting you walk out of here alone. Geeze you must be exhausted."

"Fine," I complied.

"It's a miracle you made it out here on your own," Paul added, "Given how, well…you know."

Leah rolled her eyes, "Just say 'how much the twins have grown'. Jesus Paul, it's not that hard," she said picking me up.

"What," asked Paul as we began making out way out of the woods, "How the hell should I know what to say? I've never been around pregnant women before."

Once inside the house Leah put me down. It felt good to stretch my legs.

"Bella, thank God," Charlie said as he came to me with Billy rolling near him, "Where the hell were you?"

"I had to take care of something," I answered.

"That how you got hurt," Charlie asked as he nodded to my bloody jacket sleeve.

"It's nothing," I said covering my hand over it.

"Bella, its dark out, you could have gotten hurt worse than that. You're seven months pregnant. Did you even think about what could have happened to the babies?"

"What I did, I did for them. Dad, I'm okay. We're okay. Leah and Paul were there. Everything's fine now, I promise."

"What you did, you won't tell me that though will you," Charlie asked.

"It's safer for you if I didn't."

"I sometimes don't know what's going on with you Bella. I know there's all this need to know stuff but sometimes it feels like I know more about your animal buddies than I do with you. With that being said, I trust them so if they were with you then that helps a little. I trust you too, Bells, I just wish I knew what was going on."

"Can I tell you a version of the truth? Will you be okay with that?"

"Guess it's better."

"Someone from Edward's past came back, someone who had a grudge against him but with Edward gone she came after me. We took care of it though, that person is gone."

"The rest is wolf stuff Charlie," said Paul, "You don't need the details."

"I'm gonna go check on Jacob," I said now that my talk with Charlie seemed to be easing.

"You should probably clean that up first," Charlie again nodded to my arm, "Get a fresh bandage on it, don't want it getting infected."

After I was tended to, Leah helped me upstairs. She ordered everyone downstairs so that Jacob and I could talk privately, even going downstairs herself.

"You're alive," Jacob said softly to me when I entered his room.

"I'm sure you would have felt it if something bad happened to me," I said rubbing my belly.

"Maybe," he said, "We don't know what it feels like to lose our imprint. Something our ancestors have on us. Come here," he said motioning to his bed.

"You don't mind being in bed with a pregnant girl?"

"Not at all, get in here."

I slipped off my shoes, picked up a pillow that was on the floor and got in bed with Jacob. It felt nice to stretch my back and place the pillow underneath it. I turned slightly so that I could be in an even more relaxing position, my overgrown belly rubbing up against him.

I looked up and saw that Jacob had his eyes closed. That was good, he needed to rest.

"That feels nice," he said to me.

As if in response my hand jerked down where I felt her kick.

"I think she's happy that you're okay," I told him.

"The same could be said for the three of you." Jacob opened his eyes and looked at me, "Seriously Bella, what were you thinking? You could have gotten yourself killed or something could have happened to the babies and then what? All of his would have been for nothing."

"I know, I'm sorry but Jacob, I had to do it. We weren't going to be safe until Victoria was gone. She'd all ready hurt you. I wasn't going to let her hurt your brothers and sister. You all wouldn't have been put in this position if it hadn't been for me."

"It's not just me and Leah I was worried about, Bella."

"Then who else?"

"Edward."

"Edward's gone, Jacob."

"He's still their father. You've told me that more than anyone. Do you know what could have happened to me had he come back to discover something had happened to you? I didn't know the guy long but I'm pretty sure we would have killed each other, treaty or no treaty."

"Don't say that. He's not that type of guy."

"How do you know?"

"I just do. He's not a monster and neither are you. And even if he does come back, at least this is one less thing he has to deal with."

"Bella the martyr, protecting everyone around but herself," Jacob said with a small smile. "Aren't you afraid that he'll get in your head and see what you've done?"

"He can't get in my head," I answered.

"But I thought he could-,"

"Guess I never mentioned that part. Edward can read people's thoughts but he never could read mine. We never knew why."

"Huh, a mental mute, must be nice. It's over though, right? I mean completely? With those vampires gone our lives can go back to being normal?"

"Yeah Jake, it's over. I can go back to being just a pregnant girl in high school. Well not in high school anymore technically."

"Good so we can all go back to being regular teenagers. And you're done risking your life and the twins?"

"I'm done, Jake, promise."

"Okay. I mean it Bella, if something ever happened to you or to them I don't know what I would do."

"I'm here now. Nothing's going to happen any time soon other than maybe going into labor in a couple months. You should get some sleep."

"So should you but can you stay here with me tonight?"

"Yeah Jake, I'll stay. Do you think Leah can come in, I'm pretty sure she's just as worried about the babies as you are."

"You can come in now," Jacob called out.

"Finally," Leah said opening the door as I adjusted my position so that my belly was facing upward. "Do you know how hard it was for me to just wait out there while you two did your close sibling stuff? I'm not even this close with my own brother." Leah brought over one of the chairs that was in the bedroom and sat next to me. "How is he?" she asked.

"EJ," I said his name out loud for the first time, "Is perfectly fine," I said as I reached for Leah's hand, "Here, feel for yourself. You can listen to him if you want to."

Leah placed her hand on my belly. I could see Jacob wanted the same thing but his hands were literally tied. I had gotten used to the three of us surrounding my belly and each of us having a hand on it.

"Did you just call him EJ?"

"Yeah I did. I've sort of been messing with names. For the boy I was thinking EJ- Edward after his father."

"And let me guess," said Leah, "Jacob." Jacob only smiled. "Well I guess I can live with calling him EJ. I won't call him his full name unless he wants me to."

"Have you picked out a girl's name for her yet," Jacob asked.

"I have actually. I was thinking Vanessa Elizabeth. Elizabeth after Edward's mother."

"Nessie," said Jacob.

"No way, you are not nicknaming her that. She's all ready got enough monsters in her life," I teased.

Jacob tried to hold back a laugh. Any movement could set off his pain. "Okay I'll make you a compromise- how about Ness? Her brother has a nickname all ready, it's only fair."

"Fine that'll work but I hear you calling her Nessie and I swear Jacob I'm lunging for your throat."

"Fair enough," Jacob said closing his eyes.

He wasn't the only one getting tired. I could feel my eyes getting heavy. We'd all had a long day and now for once it felt like we could actually rest and not be bothered. There was no need for the boys to do nightly patrols.

"I should get downstairs," I said to him.

"Stay here tonight," Jacob said to me.

"I'm not exactly the best bunk buddy these days," I said to him. "I toss and turn way more than I should and you're still hurt so I don't want to disturb you."

"You can take Quil's bed," he said. "He hardly uses it much anyways."

"All my comfort stuff is downstairs," I answered.

"Bells, I'm in pain here, are you really not going to help me out here?"

"Fine, I'll stay. Who knew you could be so needy."

Leah got up from her seat, "I'll go get your clothes and body pillow from downstairs. You can use my bathroom to change, it's bigger."

I looked at her, "I might need some help with that."

Leah smiled, "Not a problem. I live to serve you and EJ. I'll also change that arm bandage too."

"Thanks Leah."