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Chapter 152

Welcome to Life


Leah


"Jake ... Leah," purred softly through my dream.

It's about time! Otherwise Mom would have left me nothing of the big chocolate mountain from my dream. On the other hand. Now I also got nothing from it. Crap!

A cheerful laugh rang through the room, and I immediately pulled up the corners of my mouth myself.

"How many times are you going to dream about your wedding?" asked Dad good-humoredly.

I chuckled.

Jake dreamed about it in all variations. Soon he should have gone through all the possibilities, unless Alice gave him additional ideas.

I had to sort myself out first. Jake and I had kind of gotten tangled up in each other, like he was Marcus, and I was Becky.

"Until I experience it!" meanwhile, Jake clarified.

"You will, Jake!" promised Dad, kissing him on the forehead.

"Good morning, Dad," I fluted.

I was disentangled. Besides, today was Christmas morning. Who could be in a bad mood? But Dad seemed to be in a particularly good mood today. He was positively beaming.

"Good morning, Little one!" replied Dad as he gave me my kiss.

So we sat there and smiled at each other.

"Um ... aren't you forgetting something?" I inquired. 'Porcelain jars with black, still steaming gold in them, perhaps?'

"No, I didn't forget. But why should I bring you the coffee if you're just going to spill it on the way to your sibling anyway? Or I'll have to carry him after you?" said Dad, putting a hand to each of our cheeks.

In my head it was rattling ...

Until it 'clicked ' and I stormed out of bed.

Dad stepped aside smirking and held open the door to the room.

Jake followed immediately.

Everyone we met along the way jumped to the side of their own accord. Last was Esmé who brought herself to safety in front of us.

Was she holding a baby bottle in her hand? With red contents? Was not sure. I was too fast.

When we reached the door of the room, we stopped.

I didn't know why Jake paused, but I was kind of afraid I'd scare the baby if I rushed in there like this.

And there it was.

Mom was lying sideways in the middle of the bed, smiling unbelievably and had one arm wrapped around a tiny bundle.

Cautiously I went closer.

I wasn't sure if my little sibling was asleep, and I certainly didn't want to wake him up. Yesterday evening, everything had been fine. I knew that a birth didn't happen like in a Hollywood movie. That it was sometimes a lengthy and painful process. They must have been pretty exhausted. However, Mom actually looked quite relaxed, apart from the rings under her eyes.

The closer I sneaked, the more I saw of the something.

A snub nose that puckered cutely. A little mouth that curled. Little eyes that moved under the closed lids. A simply sweet little face with a little cap on its head. Two little hands that clenched and unclenched cutely into fists. And everything so tiny.

"Merry Christmas," Mom wished us.

I was still occupied with amazed silence while she gave me my good morning kiss. But with that she shook me up.

"Merry Christmas, Mom," I said, and Jake repeated it almost simultaneously.

"You guys got a little brother," Dad suddenly squatted behind us.

"A brother?" I asked, played wrinkling my nose. "I already have one of those!" I chuckled afterwards.

"Exchange is unfortunately excluded," Mom opined.

"Never mind. With little brothers I know the ropes," I appeased. I did not care at all. The main thing was that everything was alive and well. Mom was apparently fine. My brother, too, apparently.

Dad had been beaming the whole short morning anyway. If I thought about it now, looking back, everyone had been beaming extraordinarily while they had jumped out of our way. Jake next to me was also laughing as he stuck his tongue out at me for my saying.

"What's his name?" asked Jake, extending his hand toward him.

He carefully groped for one of the little feets kicking in the baby's sleeping bag.

"Charles Edward David," Dad said proudly.

"Sounds like a law firm," I commented dryly.

"Or like a member of a royal family," Jake added.

"That's why we just call him Ced," Mom explained.

"Sounds good," I nodded, and Jake nodded in agreement as well. "My little brother Ced," I summed up and breathed a hesitant kiss on his forehead. So he'd know right away how things were going in his family.

He shook himself and opened one - in words: one! - eye, from which he examined me suspiciously.

Holy shit!

"Dad. Are those your eyes? When you were human?", I asked. Downright shocked.

"Yes. They are," he confirmed.

"That's just awesome!" I noted, when the second eye had then also opened curiously. This sparkling bright green was just tremendous!

"Thanks!" Dad merely chuckled to that as he sat down on the bed and caringly pulled a blanket over Mom's exposed legs.

They looked at each other in love for a moment before he turned back to us.

"And Ced seems to have gotten part of his gift from me, too," he smiled.

"So? What can he do?" asked Jake curiously.

"Let him touch you with his hands. Then he'll show you for sure," Mom said.

"But don't get scared," Dad added.

Scared? I was curious about that, whereby Jake looked at me with no less interest.

We sat down closer and the little one was already holding out his little hands to us after Mom turned him a little in our direction. Before we touched him, Jake and I looked at each other again self-confidently.

He would not scare us. Certainly not.

We nodded to each other, barely noticeable, and very carefully grasped our brother's fingers ...

My gaze involuntarily darted back to Jake, who probably looked as stupidly startled as I did. Then to Dad and Mom, who were both chuckling.

I saw images before my eyes. They were somehow transparent or translucent, which is why I could still see my surroundings, but still pretty clear images.

Mom and Dad, looking happily down at me. Their hands holding me. Warm and cold. A feeling of complete contentment and absolute safety ran through me.

But I couldn't remember that I had ever looked up at my parents like that. Especially since they were both apparently also still naked. At least I couldn't see any clothes right away. Also the position as such, from which I saw them, seemed very strange to me. Like I'm lying on Mom's belly?

"Our son shows everyone the same thing," I heard Dad say.

"So you do hear him, after all?" asked Mom, surprised.

"Only when he ... releases his thoughts. Like he's doing now. Not otherwise," Dad clarified.

I swallowed.

"Then these are HIS thoughts?", Jake voiced my reasoning.

"Yes. It's Ced's memory. And he shows that to everyone first," Dad said.

I focused more closely on what I was picking up.

Then that must have been ... right after the birth?

Dad nodded affirmatively.

Unbelievable!

I watched this moment as if spellbound and actually moved.

Mom and Dad looked so incredibly happy, even though they both seemed quite taken. I thought I could feel the mutual affection. Among all three of them. And Dad was humming a new tune that lovingly underscored this whole situation.

Then the images faded until they were gone altogether, after I still vaguely heard Carlisle's voice in that memory.

Ced looked cutely at us, as if he were pondering intently, and looked alternately at our hands, which still held his tentatively.

A dark veil settled in front of my eyes, but I felt something.

Serenity and curiosity. I was trapped, without feeling imprisoned, in a strange shell that shielded me from the outside world. That protected me. In some places of this shell something warm appeared and moved over it. I followed these patterns with one hand. It was fun.

Ced chortled in amusement as he thought about it now.

And I remembered that, too. At least, as soon as I realized that it wasn't me who was trapped, but Ced.

In Mom's belly. And the warmth he playfully followed was Jake and I as we stroked across what had been a bulging belly yesterday. Yesterday afternoon. He remembered that. He even drew the comparison to Dad, who had done the same thing to him just before. Only that had been cold. Ced thought it was totally funny and really chuckled.

Dad quietly told Mom what our brother just showed us, and she smiled enthusiastically.

"Can you hear each other's thoughts?", Dad addressed us with interest.

I looked at Jake, confused.

"Nah?" was all I said. How also? Also? Just now we were not wolves! Wolves! ... Uh ... Uh... Echo? Echo?

My eyes widened in disbelief while Dad was already chuckling.

I listened strained ...

Okay, maybe I should think of something while I was doing that, so Jake could hear something, too. And there he was. My twin brother. I heard him. Clear and distinct. Like we were wolves.

"Can he hear and see our thoughts, too?", I asked.

"Or is he just forwarding them?" follow-up Jake.

"He hears your thoughts, because I hear you three times right now. But how much of it he really perceives himself and perhaps already understands, I can't say," Dad immediately pondered.

Then we'll show him who his family is right away! ... But I really couldn't think of anything to say? So on cue.

But then I saw it from Jake.

A few little scenes.

How Dad had shown up at our house the first afternoon and fought Mom's obstinacy. The proposal at the jewelry store and how we picked out the ring. How we had called him 'Dad' for the first time when David had shown up so unexpectedly.

In addition still a little something came to my mind.

How I had found Mom and Dad smeared with chocolate cream on the kitchen floor on their birthday. When they asked our permission for Dad to sort of move in with us. Dad's piano playing and how he woke us up with coffee every morning since then.

'We have really great parents!' Jake and I thought conclusively.

Then, as if from nowhere, the memory right after his birth appeared again. There was something urgent and emphatic about the way he showed it now.

But it disappeared again very quickly, and I saw and heard nothing more.

Well. Except just this room and my own thoughts.

"What was that now?" I asked in amazement.

"I think he was trying to understand that you guys are sort of the same thing to us as he is," Dad said.

I smiled.

He looked so cute, how he eyed me suspiciously with those sparkling green eyes.

"Can I take him in my arms?" I asked cautiously.

"Of course, Leah," Mom said immediately, making a move to pick Ced up.

But Dad put his hands in between.

"We have something else to tell you!" he said seriously, looking at Jake and me. "Ced is half vampire, don't forget about that. He's got all his little teeth ... And he's venomous!" Dad summarized.

I involuntarily recoiled a few inches.

"He's already bitten Bella tonight trying to drink from her breast, and the venom is much less concentrated than the rest of us, yet it remains venom."

"But ..." I started to say, but was still thinking about what exactly I wanted to say.

"... if this is weaker than yours after all, it can't be that bad," Jake continued my thought.

"I don't know, and I don't want to find out!" determined Dad.

"That means we have to stay away from him?" asked Jake, contorting his face.

"Of course not, Jake. And you can hold him in your arms, too. I just want you to be careful. Don't get too close to his teeth until we teach him that he can't bite anyone," Dad explained.

"Ced has only been in the world a few hours and I think the bite when he drank was more of an instinct that he wasn't aware of the effect. How would he know what he could do with it? This new life is quite a lot at once. He also has a lot to understand. Just the many people he has already met. It must be pretty exhausting for the little man," Mom said softly.

I nodded, seeing myself in front of my eyes.

When I first felt the burning in my veins and then I was a wolf. I had no idea what exactly I should do now as such. Seth had taught us everything we needed to know as Spirit Warriors. So even Ced had to learn what he was allowed to do and what he wasn't allowed to do.

"I'm sure you'll understand that very quickly!" I said, taking Ced's little hand in mine again. "This ability to show us his memories isn't ... on all the time, though, is it?" I asked. Although I held the little fingers of my little brother between mine again, I saw nothing but what belonged to myself. Nor did I hear Jake, although he touched him too.

"No. He already seems to be able to consciously control when he lets us in on his thoughts and when he doesn't," Dad sighed.

"So he's shutting you out, too?" smirked Jake.

"He obviously got that part of his gift from your mother!" complained Dad.

As if he wanted to change the subject, Dad then carefully put the little one in my arms. Said that the baby's head must always be supported.

Ced smiled at me with his unreal sparkling green eyes.

They were so cool! Dad had certainly driven some girls out of their minds with his gaze alone!

"Times were a little different back then," he chuckled.

'That doesn't mean no!' I thought accusingly.

He winked at me with a mischievous smile.

Then I lowered my eyes to my little brother.

"Hello, Ced. I'm your big sister Leah!" I introduced myself.

A little hand wagged towards me, and I lifted him closer to my face so he could touch me.

'Sister,' he repeated mentally and rejoiced exceedingly.

I really couldn't think of a more appropriate term for it.

He stretched his little arms out to Jake, and I carefully handed him over to Jake.

Dad watched our every move.

Anxious? Attentive? Just moved? I was not sure.

Jake seemed pretty awkward.

"I thought you wanted a whole soccer team?" I teased him.

"Yeah, but not just yet!" he blurted back played, sticking his tongue out at me before turning back to Ced. "I'm your big brother Jake," he said, and Ced wanted to touch him happily, too.

"Emma's going to wake up any minute, and I doubt David will be able to keep her from going down there for long," Dad chuckled, handing us our coffee after all now, albeit rather belatedly.

Esmé had served it right here, assuming that we wanted to greet our baby brother in the quickest way possible.

However, I grimaced uncomprehendingly.

"It's Christmas. Santa Claus must have been there ... Provided you've been good!" he reminded me.

Oh, yes. Forgotten.

I looked down at my little brother, who was lying between the four of us, chortling happily to himself.

Christmas was just so unimportant.

"I take it you don't want to do your usual run this morning?" pondered Dad, holding out some clothes and our toothbrushes.

I gave Dad a grateful kiss.

I didn't want to get away from my family just to do something unimportant like washing or dressing.

I jumped in the shower first and hurried. Jake relieved me before I could turn off the water.

Jake and I, as you know, had few inhibitions about each other. After all, we saw each other naked every day and had bathed together quite often as children.

Afterwards, the three of us stood in front of the bed and still brushing our teeth, while Dad sat on it with Ced in his arms.

Ced had watched us in amazement and amusement. With a look that wanted to say: What nonsense are they up to!

"What's Emma doing?", I asked after our wash/dress action had taken less than ten minutes.

"Sitting sullenly between her parents and brothers, she's been relegated to first drinking her cocoa that Esmé brought for everyone. Charlie and Sue are also already awake and sitting drinking coffee with Carlisle in the kitchen," Dad chuckled.

"And where's Cookie?" asked Mom.

"Who?" I asked. Had we missed something else?

"That's what we baptized the dog last night," Mom laughed.

Oh yes. The dog. Also completely forgotten.

This one was apparently waiting for his cue at Emmett's, tail wagging, Dad said.

"You guys apparently have had a lot of time tonight. A dog baptism. Ced's birth ... Did we miss anything else that we should probably know about?" Jake then asked with interest, but we seemed to be back up to speed now and went downstairs.

Dad carried his son while Jake and I each put an arm around Mom's waist for safety.

She felt, according to her own statements, good, but a little wobbly on her feet. Everything would have been very strenuous.

"... and I haven't slept much either," she admitted in an almost whisper, guiltily avoiding Dad's gaze.

"YOU didn't want to keep sleeping!" he teased her.


When we arrived in the living room, we first stopped in shock.

It smelled of cinnamon and fresh fir. The open fire crackled cozily. Christmas music was babbling in the background.

We would not seem to be having breakfast in the dining room today.

All kinds of edibles were invitingly prepared in the living room and my stomach growled.

The huge Christmas tree shone stately. And under it lay tons of presents.

A magnificent sight.

Charlie and Sue stood toward the kitchen with Esmé and Carlisle at their sides, wishing "Merry Christmas" at the top of their voices, until they more accurately recognized Mom, who was toddling between us like this.

Charlie approached us anxiously.

Mom broke away from us and hugged her slightly befuddled father, who apparently couldn't quite comprehend Mom's smile right now.

That a not inconsiderable part of her belly was missing, he probably did not notice yet either.

Dad stepped closer behind us.

"Charlie. Congratulations! You've become a grandfather for the third time tonight," Dad said, proudly handing his son over to his grandfather, who just stood there spellbound, silently accepting the bundle. "Make sure Ced doesn't do anything wrong!" Dad commanded us in a whisper, leading Mom the last few feet to the sofa himself.

A tear ran down Charlie's cheek, but he otherwise just looked at Ced pretty much speechless. He turned to his wife in disbelief and just couldn't find the words. It was unmistakable, however, that he was pleased.

When Ced was about to extend a hand to Charlie, I intervened and took it instead.

I heard that my little brother didn't understand why I was doing this. So I mentally tried to say that Charlie wouldn't understand.

As I considered whether he might have understood me but didn't actually assume so, Dad stood with us again.

"He was named primarily after his grandfathers. Charles Swan," Dad said, and Charlie couldn't seem to come up with any words at all now. He looked completely overwhelmed. "Since the twins have their father's name and I have to change my name every few years, Swan seemed appropriate for us," Dad added.

Charlie looked so touched. He looked helpless for a moment. It took him a moment to seem to come up with a solution and very carefully pass the baby to Sue.

Did we have to be careful with her too?

"That she won't drop him in fright?" whispered Dad.

'Um ... yeah ... good idea!' I thought, but Jake was already standing by her side.

"Congratulations, Edward!" said Charlie at last, giving Dad a very tentative hug. "And thank you for the name," he followed up.

In the background, Jake was just keeping Sue from keeling over. To use an exaggerated term. She really looked drolly surprised while Jake guided her closer to an armchair.

"Emma!" David ran down the hall after his daughter.

In vain. The little whirlwind was faster.

"Ohhh ...!" we then heard a sugary sweet amazement.

Emma was there. And saw gifts!

Edward picked her up.

"Merry Christmas, cherub!" he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You were certainly supposed to wait for your brothers, weren't you?" he asked afterwards with a slightly reproachful undertone.

Emma said nothing, just shrugged her shoulders self-consciously.

"Yes, she should have!" confirmed David, but he laughed.

His sons rushed past him and shouted a cheerful "Merry Christmas" into the room. They also looked shocked, in a way, because Santa Claus had so unmistakably been there.

"Look. Santa Claus has brought us a Christ child," Edward said softly, turning with Emma to Ced, who was by now sleeping on Mom's lap on a pillow.

Emma audibly held her breath and clapped her little hands in front of her mouth in amazement.

"A baby!" marveled Emma cutely as Dad dropped her off right in front of the sofa.

"Is that tiny though!" stated Luces, seemingly undecided what to make of it.

"It looks pretty crumpled," Deacon said with a grin.

"Doesn't it usually take nine months?" asked Daniel skeptically.

Sure. With his fourteen years Daniel knew of course, how long a pregnancy lasted normally. Especially since he was also currently experiencing it with Sonya. At it I had not at all thought that he would see through that. However, I was surprised at how calm the vampires remained about this statement, while Charlie, Sue, David, Jake, and I were kind of shocked.

"Normally, yes," Carlisle began in a chatty tone. "But little Ced has a genetic growth disorder. For a long time, Bella didn't notice what was growing so slowly inside her, and in the last few weeks, he's caught up to everything pretty rapidly. He grows and develops faster than usual. This is highly rare, but not dangerous. He's in great health. Eventually it will reduce to a stable level, but when that will be remains to be seen."

"I see," Daniel shrugged and looked at Ced. "That's good, then," he checked off the subject for himself.

Well, that was easy! I marveled. Fourteen, even. One had other things in mind then. I could still remember when we were in the hospital in Philly almost three and a half years ago when Emma was coming into the world. I had only understood how bad Sonya was really doing at that time when she was suddenly with us a few months ago and it had been explained to us.

"Congratulations!" Daniel then laughed and made room.

Sonya, after being literally overrun by her sons, had now arrived with us as well. She hugged Dad heartily before dropping down on the sofa next to Mom. The mothers smiled understandingly at each other while Sonya gently placed a hand on the little head.

"So everything went well? All your worries were for nothing?" she asked confidently.

"Yes. Everything is good. And Edward was so great about it!" Mom replied gushily, beaming at Dad.

He took her hand, gave her a loving kiss on the fingers, and kept her hand to himself.

They were so cute!

By the way, Emma was still standing in front of little Ced as if enchanted. She just couldn't take her eyes off him.

Jake and I walked over to the kitchen. We had heard china banging against each other.

"Esmé, do you need help?" I asked.

"No. Everything is already ready," she answered good-naturedly and handed us each a cup of coffee. "And what do you think about your little brother?" she then wanted to know, smiling gently.

"He's so tiny!", Jake stated the obvious, chuckling.

"How fast do you think he's growing?" I asked Carlisle, who was also in the kitchen.

"I think I won't find an answer to that until the next few days that isn't just a rough estimate. Provided the little angel overcomes his fear of me," he chuckled.

"Why is he afraid of you, of all people?" doubted Jake.

"You are one of the most peaceful people I know, aren't you?" I asked as well.

"Thanks for the compliment," he smirked. "Do you know that one used to give newborns a little pat on the bottom as soon as they were born?" he asked.

I nodded.

I had seen it once in some movie.

"It's not particularly firm and only serves to make the baby startle and gasp for air. In simple terms, this puts the lungs to work. In the past, it was considered absolutely necessary. Now people no longer resort to it, but simply wait until the baby starts breathing on its own. It still remains a simple and uncomplicated way to get the child to breathe on his own quickly. Not wanting to take any chances, I resorted to this outdated means ..."

"... and Ced remembers that?" I speculated, snorting with laughter as Carlisle nodded dejectedly.

"It's your own fault!" laughed Jake, choking on his coffee with laughter.

"Once he gets to know you a little, he'll know you won't harm him," Esmé comforted her husband.

"Well, I'm happy about our baby brother!" stated Jake firmly.

"Me too!" I agreed. "I'm sure it's going to be pretty exciting with the little tyke with us."

"And how they've been beaming up over their ears all morning!" added Jake.

"Oh, yes. Having a child is something quite special," Esmé confirmed, and we nodded in affirmation.

"It is said that our kind change on a mental and emotional level only by meeting their soulmates. I don't think that assumption is true," Carlisle mused.

I asked what exactly he meant by that.

"Edward changed when he met Bella twenty years ago. To that extent, that statement is true. But what has happened to him in the past almost four months cannot be dismissed either. And not only with him, also with all others. In this respect, certainly also with us, without us having noticed it ourselves. Bella is part of our family again. The fact that Bella has given him her heart again has freed Edward in every way and has brought him and us lust for life and happiness. Moreover, Bella has brought us two wonderful grandchildren who cheer up all our lives," he spoke, and Jake and I rolled our eyes.

"Come on. Stay grounded!" I said.

"Yes," Jake said significantly, however. "Edward has become a great Dad. You probably didn't expect that," he reflected.

"That's right. Actually, Edward is seventeen years young, but because of you two, he has become a father who loves his children more than anything and would do anything for them ... But tonight he has also changed. He accompanied Bella during this difficult period of time and experienced completely new facets of her. He was there when his own child saw the light of world. That is a very formative event. Especially when one lived in the belief that this was not possible," Carlisle elaborated.

I knew what he meant. This little baby mattered more to Dad than we did. That was obvious when one thought about it for a moment and looked at Dad as well. As I was at that moment, as I stood in the doorway looking at my family snuggled in the corner of the sofa. A small breath of jealousy twitched through my body.

I slumped my shoulders a bit and walked back to the kitchen counter.

I did not want to be jealous. I had no right to be. The baby was completely helpless and could really do nothing alone. Of course, the little one had to be taken care of. And, of course, this would be done mainly by Mom and Dad. It was their child. Their child together. And for Dad, it was all a whole new experience. His baby that he could watch grow up! Not one that happened to already be present, like a certain pair of twins. So many times Dad had regretted not meeting us much earlier. How much he would have missed. Of course, Dad had to be overly excited about it. How could I be jealous? I was not allowed to. Basta! In addition, I was sure that Dad would not forget us. After all, we were his children too. But I made myself promise to be very lenient with him. He should make up for what he had missed out on with us!

I smiled, and this one was not so fake and forced.

"The little Ced doesn't only need his parents, though. He also needs his big siblings," Esmé put an arm around my shoulders.

"I always wanted to be a big brother. As cool as Brandon's," Jake opined.

I nodded resolutely and combatively.

That would be my goal. To be the much cooler big sister!

"You'll have plenty of opportunity to do that now," Carlisle laughed.

"You pretty much failed as a little brother. Maybe it'll work better as a big one," I teased Jake and immediately fled.

Jake immediately pursued me, and I ran as fast as I could.

In the meantime, we had almost run over Alice and Rosie, who were about to approach the festive living room.

I just couldn't get rid of Jake, so I ran outside.

Bad idea.

In the high snow, which I somehow hadn't taken note of yet today, I slowed down. Then on the large terrace in front of the living room Jake caught me and we wrestled with each other in the snow.

"How was that?" Jake asked me indignantly as he sat on my back and struggled to push me into the cold white stuff.

I resisted steadfastly. As far as possible.

"You're an annoying little brother!" I blithely teased him further.

I managed to turn a bit and pepper snow into his face. So we rolled merrily on across the terrace.

Until we were interrupted.

"If you don't behave yourselves decently and befitting the feast day, I will end this squabble!" a voice thundered through the air.

One second passed ... two seconds ...

Whoosh, Dad had a snowball in his face, and Jake and I took flight together. In sibling harmony.

We didn't get far, but against the two of us together and under the supervision of human eyes, he didn't stand a chance.

We rubbed Dad's face really hard with snow while one cheered us on loudly. He conceded defeat after all three of us were just wet from the snow. We each held out a hand to Dad, on which he pulled himself up out of the snow.

No, Dad would never forget that we are his children too!

"No way!" Dad confirmed my thoughts and hugged Jake and me.


Thanks for reading!