25. Ness & EJ

[Bella POV]

Time seemed an eternity.

By my seventh month Sue had me on bed rest.

Now at eight and a half months pregnant, thirty four weeks, I was more belly than I was regular body these days. I sometimes joked with Jacob that the twins had inherited his growth spurt- highly doubtful though. My body was just doing extra work since there were two inside of me.

Gone were the days of being able to see my feet from my above position. As I looked down when I sometimes stood all I could see was my overgrown belly. Clothes had become an issue. Though people had twins all the time it was sometimes hard to find clothing that would fit the curve of my belly and I was often left with a little bit of my skin showing from underneath.

Tonight was proving to be an issue more so than usual. Sleep was having a hard time finding me. There was nothing dire on my mind other than Charlie and Edward.

Charlie still disliked my plans for where I wanted to deliver the babies. It didn't make sense to him that since the Cullen's were gone why I would want to deliver them at their empty house with Sue as my midwife instead of going to a hospital like any other person would. He believed home births were old fashioned and best saved for the women on the reservation who still honored the old ways and since we weren't Native American ourselves it made no sense to him as to why I would chose such old form of birth.

All Charlie could do was mope around and complain about my choice to Sue and Billy who supported my choice. Like the wolves they knew the risk of a hospital birth posed to me and the twins should they decide to make their entrance in a non-human fashion.

As for Edward, he was often a constant thought but tonight his presence seemed stronger. Like Leah and Jacob's connections to the twins, the thought of him seemed to grow more as my belly grew. Almost as if despite his absence and despite the children I carried, he was still a part of me and not just by the seeds he had left.

No amount of time and separation could stop me from loving him.

I knew what I felt seemed irrational and intense for a human to feel but I had not been a human to fall in love with an ordinary guy. And from what I had gathered from Jacob and Leah as well as the other pack members who had imprinted was that they felt the same longing whenever they were separated from their other half. The only seeming difference was that Edward and I were not bonded as they were, we still had our freewill which was why Edward was gone and I was here. While I longed him and would have tried a way to find him if I could my responsibility was here as it was unwise for pregnant women to do much travel or for pregnant cops to work in the field. The bodies were strenuous as it was in its' changes to accompany the growing child so to add on more stress and unnecessary actions to the baby wasn't the smartest move.

With Edward gone I had to make sure that at least his children survived. Without them my life would be empty and it truly would be as if he had never existed. I loved Ness and EJ more than anything in this world and if Edward was not here physically at least I would have the miracles that he had left me with and that I was certain I could live with.

As I thought of Edward, a sharp pain occurred on the lower part of my belly.

"Easy there EJ," I whispered as I rubbed my hand on the spot where he kicked.

I couldn't be certain that it was EJ who was on the lower part of my belly squashing my bladder most of the time but it felt like it was as the kicks were stronger there than they were on top where the second twin sat.

A few seconds later I felt a kick from higher up. Ness was copying her brother's movements.

They were not gonna let me get any sleep tonight.

Again the kicks continued but this time they were a lot harder, much harder and then something felt slightly different.

"Dad," I called out. "Dad!"

I could hear Charlie as he rushed across the hall and opened the door to my room.

He wasn't the only one standing there. Behind him stood four giant Quileute's.

Jacob and Leah rushed passed Charlie to my side where I was sitting on my bed, my back propped up against the head board, my hands cradling the top and lower parts of my belly.

Jacob I had gotten used to but it was still Leah who was a surprise to me. In the time that Leah had joined Jacob's pack and imprinted on my second child when I was six months pregnant, we had developed a sister-type of relationship. She'd been the sixth wolf to imprint, leaving the rest of the packs to wonder if it was inevitable. Leah was thought to be a dead end wolf so if she could imprint did that leave no hope of regular relationships for the others?

I often wondered what it was about my babies in particular that made the wolves drawn to them. Maybe I would never know.

Another kick suddenly occurred but this time there was something different. It felt like there was a bulge between my legs even though I was certain it was inside me, my mind only tricking me that it was on the outside, forcing my legs apart while they remained underneath my covers. It felt like a water balloon inside my uterus had suddenly popped. I could feel the warm liquid along my legs and backside.

I looked at my belly, the bulge so huge that I didn't have a clear view of the wet spot. Jacob's and Leah's eyes followed, clearly seeing what I couldn't.

"I think my water just broke," I said to the five of them.

Everyone remained silent and motionless.

Seth was the first to break the silence. "The twins are coming," he said excitedly.

Jacob broke into full Alpha mode. "Seth, call your mom, tell her to meet us at the Cullen house."

Seth immediately took off.

Charlie snapped back to himself as he searched my room. "Okay your bag, where's your bag?"

"I've all ready got stuff at the house," I replied.

"What about you? Can you get up and walk down the porch steps to the cruiser?"

"I got it," Jake said all ready lifting me in his arms.

Though I'd been carried by Jacob before and sometimes by Leah, right at this very moment I felt slightly embarrassed. I must have easily weighed one hundred sixty pounds or so and Jacob held me as if I was only the weight of a one pound dumbbell and there was also the fact that my shirt and sweat pants were soaked through with amniotic fluid.

Jake didn't seem to mind either though.

"Leah," said Jake, "Run ahead and go tell Sam what's going on. Just because we have a truce with them doesn't mean I want them to suddenly change their minds."

"No way, said Leah, "You stay, I stay."

"Damn imprinting people," said Embry, "I'll go but Leah you're giving Charlie a ride."

"Fine," said Leah.

"Nah uh," said Charlie, "You are not driving my cruiser."

"Who said anything about driving," Leah asked.

When we got out into the woods near the house both Embry and Leah phased. Embry took off to go tell Sam and Leah lowered herself.

"You expect me to ride her," Charlie asked Jacob.

"Trust me, Charlie," said Jake, "It'll be a lot faster than driving."

A contraction hit and I screamed out in pain.

"Okay we're going Bella," Jacob said to me.

My scream was all it took for Charlie to climb on the white wolf and Jacob began his ran with me in his arms. The movement alone hurt my pelvic and vaginal muscles but I kept silent. I trusted Jacob and it was a lot better than taking the car where we would have to drive down highway 101 and even with the siren on the cruiser there was no guarantee other drivers would get out of the way.

Sue was all ready waiting for us in Carlisle's library which had been turned into a delivery room as Jacob placed me on the medical bed.

"How're you doing, Bells," Charlie asked as he came into the room and stood by my side. "Anything you need? Anything I can get for you?"

I looked over at him and smiled, "I'm okay dad."

Another contraction hit. I closed my eyes and tightened them hoping it would help with the pain.

"It's okay baby, I'm right here," Charlie said as he ran his hand through my hair. He also took my hand which I squeezed.

"Thanks."

"I just wish there was more I could do. I wish I could take away the pain somehow. Are you sure there's nothing I can do for you?"

"Actually dad, could you wait outside with Seth and Embry?"

"No, no I'm staying here with you. I'll stay near your head. I don't have to… see anything."

I looked at Jacob. How could I possibly tell my father that I didn't want him in the room during the birth because I wasn't sure if it would be a normal process? Just because my water broke didn't mean the kids still couldn't come out in a vampire baby fashion by biting their way out of me as the legends told. I'd had a normal human pregnancy up until this point but I couldn't risk Charlie seeing something so graphic.

"Please dad," I said, "I want you to go."

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine. Jacob will stay near my head and Leah's gonna help Sue deliver the twins. I trust them."

"She'll be okay Charlie," said Sue. "I promise she's in good hands."

Charlie nodded. "I'll be right outside if you need me," he said leaning over to place a kiss on my head. "Good luck Bells, I love you."

"Love you too."

Once Charlie was gone, Sue smiled at me. "Okay let's take a look."

Jacob turned away as Sue removed the soiled sweat pants I was wearing and Leah helped me into a clean long shirt.

Once my exam was complete Sue looked at me.

"Okay so far you're four centimeters. There's not much we can do until you reach ten. We've got a long night ahead of us."

I knew Sue could be right. While I had researched supernatural pregnancies I had also read up on normal human ones. I knew that my cervix had to be dilated to ten centimeters for the twins to be ready to make their arrival into this world.

"Unless they decide to eat their way out of me," I joked slightly.

"Your pregnancy has been normal so far," said Jacob. "And now you decide to joke about it?"

"Just preparing myself for both scenarios," I replied. "That reminds me are we stocked up on blood?"

Jacob patted my arm, "Relax, Bella. Try and relax. We've been prepared for this. There's plenty of blood for you and the little bloodsuckers in case they want that and not your milk or regular baby formula."

He smiled at me and I smiled back. The way he said 'bloodsuckers' was in amusement the way a parent would use the word 'rug rat' or 'kid'.

"And it's just temporary right, the human blood?"

"They'll be weaned off of it as soon as their able and onto that vegetarian diet."

"Okay I just want to be sure. Vampires aren't drawn naturally to animal blood."

"Then how did the Cullen's do it? It couldn't have been easy."

"Years of practice. Jasper was the one who hadn't been off human blood very long and he nearly tried to kill me after I'd gotten a paper cut but Carlisle values human life. The others followed suit. I think Esme is the only one who's never tasted human blood before. It's that philosophy that helps them be around humans."

"And how was Edward able to do all of this," Jake said motioning to my belly.

I sat up, my back feeling uncomfortable.

"You okay," Jacob asked as he held onto me.

"Yeah I think I just need to walk around." I looked at Sue. "That's okay right?"

Sue smiled, "It's actually encouraged. It helps to keep the pelvis moving and gets the babies into a better position."

Jacob helped me from the bed and continued to hold my hand as we walked.

"Are you seriously asking about my sex life," I asked him.

"I guess I am. How does one have sex with stone? I mean weren't you afraid that he'd kill you or accidentally bite too hard and drink your blood even if he is a…vegetarian?"

"I wasn't afraid. I trusted him."

"Still it must have been…different."

"I wouldn't know. I have nothing to compare it to."

Jacob nodded and slightly laughed. "Guess it just chooses you sometimes," he said seeming to finally understand. "Maybe vampires and werewolves are more alike than we thought in terms of how we love. Well however it went I'm glad it did," he said placing his hand on my belly and smiling at me.

The pain in my lower pelvic region suddenly felt intense.

"Another contraction," Jacob said. I nodded. "Here, hold onto me."

Jacob held my hand and placed the other on his chest. His heat felt nice but I still winced from the pain. Suddenly reaching my allotted length of ten centimeter cervical expansion seemed to stretch on as the night was long.

After the contraction was over Jacob and Leah helped me to the bed. Lying on my back was too uncomfortable so I lay on my left side. Leah placed a pillow between my legs.

More time passed and I now suddenly felt the need to start pushing. Sue checked and told me that my feeling was correct. I'd reached ten centimeters. This was the moment I'd been waiting nearly nine months for, close to anyways. I'd read that women with twins usually went into labor half way through their eighth month so my pregnancy had been right on track. I was delivering at thirty-four weeks instead of thirty-six.

I could hear Sue and Leah coaching me to push and Jacob telling me I was doing great but their voices sounded miles away. I wanted Edward here. He deserved to be here.

The pain was excruciating and I wondered how women could have babies on a daily basis without the help of epidurals to ease the process, a drug of which I was not allowed given that we weren't sure of the effects it would have on me being the oven and my kids being hybrids.

I knew the pain was worth it though when I heard the first cries.

"It's a girl," said Sue.

"Vanessa," I said after Sue told me she was out completely.

She passed Vanessa off to Jacob and for a moment I feared that my job was done and that he would take her from me but then Jacob smiled.

"She's perfect," he said placing her in my arms gently.

"Of course you are," I said looking at my daughter for the first time.

Parts of my features were in her but I could see a lot of Edward in her as well.

"You're so beautiful," I said to the small infant in my arms. "I love you."

A couple minutes must have passed as I held my little girl and as mesmerized as I was by her a new wave of contractions hit and I was reminded that I still had another job to do.

I handed Vanessa off to her godfather. Jacob called out to Seth who came upstairs and took the baby. To my surprise Jacob was staying with me. I knew it couldn't have been easy for him but I also knew I could trust Seth with Vanessa.

Better him right now than Embry who was outside the house standing on the offensive in case Sam and his pack showed up.

I couldn't focus on that now. The urge to push came full force. I wanted to stop. The exhaustion finally seeming to set in and for a moment I did when Sue told me to but only briefly. Sue told me to push again, just one final big one. I grasped onto Jacob's hand with every ounce of strength I had, screaming all the while until the pressure finally eased and I heard the cry.

"A boy," Sue said as she passed him off to her daughter.

I looked at Leah who was smiling down at my son, her eyes glaring in a way I'd never seen before even when he was inside of me.

"EJ," I said weakly.

"Hey there little guy," said Leah, "Let's go meet your mom. She's been waiting to meet you."

Leah walked over to me and smiled as she gently passed me my son.

A daughter and a son.

It was all so surreal.

"Hi there handsome," I said to him.

And he was handsome. He had more of Edward's features including his green eyes that he'd had when he was human. He'd inherited my dark hair much like Ness had. I could not have been more proud.

I wanted to stare into his eyes forever but my time of forever as a human seemed to be cut short.

A sharp pain radiated off my left breast.

EJ was taken from my arms and I could hear Leah scold him softly but I couldn't focus.

The only thing I could feel was the pain and the burning. I was brought back to a year ago when James had hunted me and bit my wrist.

Realization set in as I understood what was happening to me. Vampire venom was poisonous to werewolves so unlike last time there would be no one to save me from this provided I survived in any form at all.

My son's venom, the venom he had inherited from his father was now coursing through me.