28. Telling the Cullen's

[Jacob POV]

Sam had taken a position on my right flank. Though he wasn't part of my pack, with his pack MIA and back on the res and me as the true Alpha, it was a seemingly natural position for him. Seth stood behind Sam and Embry stood at my left flank.

They didn't have to be here but they wanted to be as spectators in case things with the Cullen's got out of hand.

"You said vampires can't have children," I said to his family but to Edward specifically. "You're wrong. You can."

"What are you talking about," Rosalie asked.

Was it just me or did she seem hurt? Her tone of voice was soft, almost distant. What had I done?

Edward shook his head slightly.

Fine, better something I should leave alone.

"I know about your night with Bella," I said to Edward.

"Damn does everyone know," asked Emmett.

"Actually they do," said Embry.

"Look," I said drawing the conversation back. "The reason we know is because not long after you left Bella discovered she was pregnant. Edward, you saw the child in my thoughts. You know she's yours and Bella's otherwise you wouldn't have attacked me just now."

"He's right," said Edward, "I saw her. I saw…my daughter."

"How is such a thing even possible," asked Carlisle.

"I'd like to hear more Jacob, if you wouldn't mind," said Edward.

I smiled at him. "Bella was eight weeks along when she came and found me. I wasn't exactly the best version of myself since I'd just been going through the wolf changes but when I saw Bella, when I saw what she was carrying inside her, well my world shifted. I left Sam's pack and so did Embry. We took it upon ourselves to become Bella and the baby's protectors. And since two alpha's can't occupy the same territory Bella offered her place to us but with four people living in the house and a baby on the way we decided we needed more space so we moved. Not long after Quil, Seth, and Leah also joined our pack."

"It's also why we're on your lands," said Embry.

"It's not permanent," I said, "It's more like house sitting while you were away. We can take the land around Charlie's place since we've been living with him and Bella."

"He's not wrong about that," said Jasper. "Their odors are all over that new cabin ten miles down from us especially inside the house."

"Tell me more about Bella and her pregnancy," said Edward. "Was it- was she- were they-,"

I'd never known Edward to have a hard time with words before.

"It was a healthy pregnancy," I answered. "Other than the imprinting and strong amniotic sack to protect the baby there wasn't anything out of the ordinary. She missed you like crazy though. It's why she wanted to deliver here. Even if you were never coming back she wanted them to be born at the home you made because she saw it as their home too."

"Wait, them?"

"Right, I still hadn't gotten to that part yet."

"Surprise," Seth said with a smile.

"Bella wasn't carrying just one," I said, "She was carrying two. You have a daughter Edward, she was born first and you have a son, he was born after and they are both completely healthy."

Edward walked passed us and took a seat on the porch.

"Twins," he said in full shock. I didn't think it was possible for vampires to feel such an emotion. He shook his head, "I shouldn't have left. I should have stayed. She needed me. I thought I was doing the right thing."

"We know," I said to him.

Bella had told us everything from her time with the Cullen's and Jasper nearly killing her to Edward believing he was leaving for her safety.

At first it had bothered me that Edward had left. I had seen the pain he put Bella through but at the same time I couldn't fault him for it either. Before I'd imprinted I'd wanted nothing more than for Bella to leave me alone and stay away out of fear that I might hurt her in the way Emily had been hurt by Sam. Paul had all ready had a temper before imprinting as well and I was afraid that any of my brothers could hurt her by accident at any moment but after my imprinting I realized I couldn't leave Bella alone, and not just because of the baby but because of her. Bella was still my best friend and she needed me. I had to protect her, be that best friend she needed when the pain of losing Edward had become too much. She might not have had him but she had me and that seemed to help I think.

Edward took a breath and nodded at me. I could hear his silent thanks for being there when he couldn't be.

Edward looked up at me, "What are the babies' names," he asked.

I smiled at him. At this moment I was more than certain Edward would never leave. He had made the mistake of leaving during Bella's pregnancy, an event which he hadn't been aware of, but now that the impossible had become possible, he would never leave the three of them ever again.

"Ness and EJ," I replied. "That's what we call them. Bella named your daughter Vanessa Elizabeth and your son Edward Jacob."

Edward smiled, "She named him after me?"

"That's how much she still loves you. She couldn't let go," I said taking a seat next to him.

The door opened and Emily and Rachel came outside.

"Not sure how I feel about him having your name though," Edward said with a slight laugh.

"Are you kidding, after everything I've done for her I deserve it," I replied with the same laugh.

Edward nodded, "Yeah I guess you probably do," he said more seriously.

"There's some things you still need to know," Sam said with Emily by his side.

"Bella had Edward's babies," said Emmett, "And Jacob has some kind of weird infatuation with one of them, what more is there?"

"After the labor there was a slight complication," I answered.

"What kind of complication," asked Edward.

"Blood and venom run through Ness and EJ's veins but EJ, he's…he bit Bella. He's venomous."

"He's what," asked Alice.

"Bella's in transition now," I said to them. "She still hasn't woken up yet. There's one more thing. It might seem logical to want to punish him, destroy him even but you can't, no one can. He's tied to Bella by blood, tied to all of you by venom but he's also tied to Leah. She imprinted on him."

Edward took a deep breath and stood quickly. "What is it with you wolves and my kids?"

I stood too. "It's not our choice."

"Your boys don't seem to have a problem imprinting on ordinary humans," Edward said indicating to Sam and Rachel having their minds read and from everything I'd thought as well.

I shrugged. "Look, I don't know what to tell you. We can't make sense of it. I mean why is it that EJ is venomous and yet Leah imprinted when your venom is the very thing that can kill us? The best bet we have is that the blood in his veins dilutes the venom somehow but it's just a theory since Bella is still changing into a vampire. We don't know why we imprint but it happens and we can't fight it."

"Try," Edward said taking a step closer.

"You couldn't could you," I said calmly. "You tried staying away, tried to let Bella have a normal life but it didn't work did it? I mean here you are. I've seen what staying away did to Sam and Emily. I see the pain it caused you and it caused Bella. Do you really want Ness and EJ to go through that?"

"We're nothing alike Jacob. We still have our free will."

"To what extent," I asked. "You could have stayed away longer than eight and a half months but you still returned. She pulls you even when you're separated, even when you try to fight it. It pulls at Bella also. Several times she wanted to leave and go find you but she couldn't because she didn't want to risk losing the very thing that you left her with. I know what it's like for you now because it's like that for me too. Maybe we're more alike than you think."

I took a step back putting some distance between us.

"There's nothing romantic about the way I feel," I said to him, "I swear. I'm a godfather to Ness. That's what I need to be right now and Leah's an older sister to EJ.

Edward took a breath and seemed to be calming down some. "How did Bella take all of this?"

"Naturally she wanted to kill us but she's had more time to deal with it."

"Maybe that'll change now that she's one of us, "Edward said with a gleaming smile.

Jasper smiled too. "He's right. Newborns can be very unpredictable."

"Sucks she won't be fragile though," said Emmett, "It was a lot of fun having her around as a human."

Edward smiled, "At least she'll be stronger than you.'

Emmett shook his head, "Please."

Several of the Cullen's laughed. I didn't understand the joke and neither did my brothers.

"Look you'll have plenty of time to deal with this. More than a lifetime even but for now do you wanna go inside? Bella's upstairs in Carlisle's study. We turned it into a make shift delivery room.

Edward nodded and the twelve of us made our way inside.

"Where're the babies," Rosalie said happily as she looked around the room.

We could see that Edward was torn between wanting to go up to Bella and wanting to meet his kids.

Carlisle put a hand on Edward's shoulder, "Wait for your children. I'll go check on Bella," he said with a smile.

He went up and Alice went with him. She shrieked.

"Which one of you put her in these god awful clothes?"

For the most part we'd all ignored her. Esme and Rosalie had begun sprucing up the house as Rachel and Emily went to the kitchen to start on dinner.

Embry and Seth went outside and made wolf calling noises so that Paul and Leah would come back and the Cullen boys had set up the TV and sat on the couch.

Only Edward and I stood.

"What are they like," he asked.

"They're amazing. They sleep. They can take in human food and blood. You really are a lucky man."

"If Bella wakes up I will be."

"Hey, she'll wake up."

"You think so? Not even Alice can see it."

"Sure. We figured you'd make your way back and you did. She'll wake up. You two are meant for each other."

Edward smiled at me and I smiled back. After a moment he suddenly looked toward the entrance.

"Is that-,"

I smiled. Edward could smell them. Not entirely human scents but more earth-like ones.

"It's them," I said.

"You sure it's safe now," Paul called from outside.

"It's safe."

I smiled as I walked over to them.

"Hey beautiful, wanna come with me now?" I asked.

"Are you kidding," said Paul, "that's all she's wanted since she woke up," he said as he passed her off to me and then made his way to the kitchen where Rachel was.

Ness reached up and placed her tiny hand on my face.

"What is that," Edward asked with wonder.

I turned to face him, "You can hear her thoughts?"

"She has thoughts?"

Ness again placed her hand on my face. I looked at her and glanced at Edward. "That my girl is your daddy."

Again she reached for my face.

"Leah, bring EJ closer."

Leah did so and Ness reached for him. The two held hands, communicating in a way we couldn't understand, well except for Edward now.

"Remarkable," he said, "They're sharing their thoughts with each other. They've made the connection to me. They sense the resemblance I have to them."

Ness let go of EJ's hand and started screaming.

"Jesus," Emmett said jumping from the couch.

"Is she okay," asked Rosalie.

"What does she want," asked Leah.

"Edward," I answered.

"Me," Edward said at the same time.

"You ready dad," I asked.

Edward half smiled, "Don't ever call me that again."

I smiled as I handed his daughter to him.

Author's Note:

Sorry for the long wait in updating. Other fandoms got in the way.

I do have this story complete it's just a matter of getting down to posting so bare with me if you can.

It being Thanksgiving week I may or may not have time to add in a new chapter but the final chapter or two are coming so hang in there!